Aftershock - Setting Yourself Up for SuccessSample

Manage the Demands of Life

Restoring your marriage is a massive task. What matters is what you will do when you feel overwhelmed and exhausted from similar demands. Managing your life now won’t be the same as it was prior to your aftershock. There will be times when you need to disappoint others or back out of something you planned to do. The graciousness of others might surprise you. At other times, you will make mistakes because of an overloaded schedule or increased stress. Forgive yourself and try to do better next time.

Admit your inability to keep everything in your life perfectly balanced. You can’t be supermom, superwife, or super anything. But you can do the best you can with what you value most. Your relationship with the Lord is obviously right at the top of things you value most, along with your marriage. Certainly, if you have children, they also share that top spot with the Lord and your marriage.

Extended family, friends, your church, your job, grocery shopping, laundry, and a host of other relationships and activities all make demands on your life. Some of your priorities will need to shift to accommodate one that you really do need to follow through on wholeheartedly.

Following through wholeheartedly doesn’t mean you can’t ever reschedule a counseling appointment. But it does mean your commitments regarding recovery deserve time and protection in your life as you make this path through pain toward renewal. 

Next, we’ll look at immersing yourself in recovery.