My daughter, Anna, has written a book about what she and her husband have learned while navigating through their first year of marriage. It is a project not for the faint of heart while still growing and learning the boundaries of a new and unfamiliar relationship, and also building their first home! I applaud Anna and Jared for their willingness to honorably and truthfully put their marriage out there for all to see as a way to help others learn how to strengthen their love. Jan and I are part of a team of proofreaders reading the final draft before it goes to publication. (I will let Anna make the formal announcement regarding the book’s title and when it is available on Amazon and other retailers.)
As I read through the first few chapters, I came across some real gems of wisdom. As Anna and Jared learned how to deal with relational conflict, Anna wrote, “You can be right, and you can still let it go.” Instead of trying to prop up our position with more arguments validating our position and hardening a wall between us, we need to let some things go for the health and sake of a relationship.
The next gem came regarding sarcasm. Anna wrote “But I don’t do sarcasm; its root means “to tear the flesh” and “bitter speech” and “to gnash teeth.” In other words, it means to be mean There’s probably a place for sarcasm in satire, but it can cut into relationships.”
Anna wrote, “…from I Peter 3:8-12, which I especially love in The Message translation:
“Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, with no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing. “
Those two gems of wisdom will help not only a marriage but our all relationships grow and become more stable. Learning how and when to let go of a point of disagreement and choosing to remove sarcasm from our communication will go a long way in creating a healthy marriage. It will also go a long way in creating a more peaceful and tolerant world.
Wow – What an encouragement to hear she’s written a book only into the marriage 1 year. Makes so much sense though you learn slot that first year.