What's the secret to keeping our marriage together? It's not because that we don't have quarrels or misunderstandings. We do. But the Lord helps us to keep our family together; to keep our love for each other burning in our hearts.
I've read the book The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman after we got married about 11 years ago. It really helped my husband and I understand how we could keep our marriage together. The author said that the honeymoon stage or the intense feeling of love for new couples lasts about 2 years. After that, something changes. Couples seem to fall out of love gradually unless the couples learn to keep their love tank full. Keeping the love tank full means the husband always feels loved by the wife and the wife always feels loved by the husband.
The book discussed about five different emotional love languages. Each person speaks a different love language and it is up to the husband or wife to discover which one is the primary love language of his or her partner. If he or she can speak the particular love language to his or her spouse, then it would help a lot keep each one's love tank full.
I will not explain what the love languages mean but I would like to mention what they are.
- Words of affirmation
- Quality time
- Gifts
- Acts of service
- Physical touch
Which do you think is your love language? These five love languages actually apply not only to couples but even to understanding and loving our children. I highly recommend this book to couples who want to discover the secret to love and marriage that lasts.
Again, I'm truly grateful, Lord, for blessing our marriage. Help us to keep on building a family that grows stronger as the years go by.
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Grampy, happy anniversary, too.