A Counselor at a Marriage Conference: Lesson 3

How often do you get swept away by desire for what you want? The goal is gratefulness for what we have. But this is very counter cultural these days. Pinterest, Facebook, Pottery Barn... they are all working against our desire to be content. "Have a body you are proud of!" "Build the laundry room of your dreams!" "Love your Husband into Cleaning the House" (lol I might have made the last one up!). But you get the jest. Discontentment is linked with bitterness and bitterness is not sweet in marriage. Things that have been useful tools while working toward contentment include weekly small group meetings with friends from my church. They remind me that there are real struggles outside of the ones I have made up for myself because of *desire for all the things*. They remind me that there are real relationships that need my time and energy outside of my *preoccupations with self*. Also helpful has been yoga and meditation practices, being present in the moment and accepting each moment as a gift, looking for gifts from above that have a sole purpose of bringing me joy... these practices have improved my contentment. I think one person has a strong influence in a marriage relationship. You can be the one to bring some zen into your home :)