Marriage ~ A Lasting Friendship

I thought this was lovely. This kind of advice is simple, heartwarming and worthy of our attention.

Lasting Friendship by Lisa Jacobson, with permission

There is no marriage so warm and close as two deep friends sharing life together.

He often introduces me as his girlfriend. It’s ever-so-slightly embarrassing. He’ll say it to the barista at the cafe, or to the cashier in the checkout line at the grocery store. After 24 years, you’d think I’d get used to it, but it still makes me blush. And smile.

I always hurry to add that I also happen to be his wife – an important fact to establish when you have eight children together. And I’ll flash my wedding ring to prove it, if necessary. I think he gets some odd gratification out of my embarrassment. Then he’ll pretend to protest, “What? You are my girlfriend, aren’t you?”

Yes, well . . . It’s true. I am a girl. And I am his friend. A close friend. The best of friends, really. I guess that makes me his girlfriend. And like most good friendships, ours has grown over time. We’ve had to invest in our friendship and look after it.

So many times, people think it’s because we somehow “click.” But while there might be some “clicking” between us, it’s more than that. Far more than that. Our friendship is a long, purposeful process.

So how do you build a friendship with your husband? Honestly? It’s not much different than any other friendship. It requires spending time together. It means sharing interests and having fun together. It involves praying for him and being thoughtful toward him.

Just doing the kinds of things that friends do for one another.

Dear Lord, Help me to communicate closely with my husband every day, as a good friend would. May my face light up when he walks in the room. Give me an understanding of how to share in his interests. Help me to remember to tell him I like him. When all the world feels like an enemy, help him feel the safe warmth of my friendship. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Challenge: Tell your husband you like him. Ask if you can go out on an ice cream date, just to talk about what you enjoy doing together as friends. Make some fun plans!

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