Staying I Do: Committed, Connected & Crazy In LoveSample

TIME IS MONEY

We place great value on our time together. Every decision we make for our family must filter through how it affects our time. Whether it’s sports, lessons, church commitments, or friend time, it must balance with the amount of time Charity and I get to spend together. We have been married long enough to have seen some of our friends and family get divorced over issues that stem from too much time apart. I’m not even factoring in military deployments or job assignments that move one away for an extended period of time. Remaining a couple while not doing life together is nearly impossible and, for many, not desirable.

One of the slipperiest slopes that can lead to a passionless marriage is conflicting schedules. Charity and I have four children. In today’s kid-centric society, it’s easy to over-commit and have us going in opposite directions trying to get our kids to a bunch of activities. However, this divide-and-conquer approach is something we intentionally keep to a bare minimum. 

Along with personal fulfillment, the main reason I went into nursing was for the opportunity to determine my own schedule. Because Charity is an entrepreneur, she is usually able to flex her work hours around our family’s needs. This fluid schedule gives us the privilege of meal planning, shopping, relaxing, and having fun together, building a stockpile of memories and experiences with each other. It allows our bond to grow even stronger because our hearts are in the same place.

Time together is of high value to us, but so is time freedom. Part of what we love to do with our time is serve together. There is nothing quite like having a “helper’s high” together.

We also love to be hospitable. Nearly every week, we host a group of our friends at our house to have dinner and play games. This scratches both of our itches of friend-time and healthy competition. How you spend your time should reflect what you value.

We are not saying that every waking moment should be spent together sharing each other’s air, but we are saying that time together needs to be a high priority. Time is our ultimate currency. You can never get it back once it’s passed and there are no rollover minutes. Your spouse will either increase or decrease in value based on how they feel about the way you spend your time. 

We hope this plan encouraged you. Explore other resources at: https://www.whitakerhouse.com/book-authors/ted-charity-bradshaw.