Guard Your Heart & Home: Pursuing Peace in Your Living Spaceنموونە

Cultivating Peace Through Pitfalls

Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.

 Song of Solomon 2:15 ESV

It doesn’t take much to trip us up in the peace we long for in our homes. Whether we are faced with stress from an illness or job, bear hurt feelings, or feel pressure from parents and in-laws, many times we forget to be aware that these pitfalls can happen any time. Because these dangers lurk where we least expect, they can spoil the vineyard of our marriage.

A major pitfall to cultivating peace in our homes is expectations. While sweet romance novels or sappy holiday movies could be to blame, our view of what marriage is “supposed” to be can be warped. We should be cautious and seek to uncover what expectations we might have for our marriages. Two lives converging into a collective partnership is not simple, and too many times the slog of daily life can be overwhelming for even the best of friends. We’ve had termites in the basement, the septic tank overflowing, kids throwing up—all on the same day. You want to run far and fast on a day like that. No one writes this stuff in a romance novel—and yet it’s real life that should be expected. In those times a hearty sense of humor will surely come in handy!

Pitfalls are rarely singular events! Many times, they arrive in tandem and can be overwhelming. Guard your heart and home by anticipating these pitfalls! In doing so, you practice cultivating peace for your heart and home!

 Dear Lord, help us guard our hearts and homes with your power!  Draw us close to you and to each other!