I’ve been reading the book of Psalms since August. Yes. August. I started out reading it because I could feel anxiety pressing in on me. There was nothing wrong in my life, no stress, worries outside the norm, or anything like that. Just plain, old anxiety slinking its way through the door of my heart.
So I prayed.
And I searched what might help me the most.
The Psalms were the answer.
The moment I prayed and started reading Psalm 1, I could feel the battle within me. I felt that anxiety fighting back, fighting a losing battle. God’s Word, you guys. It’s Peace. It’s Love. It’s Truth. And it’s deadly to all those negatives fighting to draw your attention away from Him.
So, what does this have to do with Forever Friday? Well…not much. Ha!! But it does.
Anxiety, while it doesn’t threaten my marriage, does take my focus. I hide it from my family when I feel it because I’m embarrassed that I don’t have a reason for it. It just…happens. So when it does, it’s all I can think about.
(Though come to think about it, it could be hormones…I am getting to “that” age.)
And that isn’t fair. Not just to my family, but to me. And not just to me, but to the Lord. Because it takes my focus off Him.
Enter the Psalms.
They refocus me, give me hope, peace. They give me joy. I think more on the Lord. I speak with Him more. I’m more relaxed and less irritable.
When my husband does notice I’m more irritable, or he knows when I might be feeling
anxious over something, he’ll gently rub my back. He won’t make me talk, he won’t belittle me. He’s steadfast. He’s loving. He’s faithful.
And that’s what marriage is: steadfast love, faithful. When those things are present in marriage, righteousness and peace kiss. And those aren’t my words; they’re God’s.
“Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other” (Psalm 85:10, English Standard Version).
My husband has his faults. I have my faults. (Lots of them.) (More than lots of them.) We hurt one another, anger one another, and irritate one another (hello snoring). But we choose each day to love one another. He makes sure he doesn’t leave for work without a kiss. When we go to bed, we make sure we’re not angry with each other. He unloads the dishwasher for me. (Hey, that’s a huge act of love in my books!) I encourage him to find friends and spend time with them. (I’m listening to him, our oldest son, and a friend play a game in the dining room as I write this, and it’s beautiful to my ears to hear their laughter and chatter.)
There’s only one way we can both choose to love a steadfast love and remain faithful, and that’s through Christ. Through His love, sacrifice, and presence in our lives. It doesn’t mean we won’t have our rough patches, arguments, or dirty q-tips laying around, but it does mean we have a God who will give us the strength to forgive and move on, remaining steadfast in our love, faithful to our vows, and who will fill us with His righteousness and peace.
How do you ensure your marriage stays steadfast, faithful, and peaceful? Please do share ideas, tips, and your thoughts. I always need to learn, as I bet a lot of you feel. 🙂
Mikal Dawn 
Oh my gosh, we really are soul sisters. This describes me to a T — the anxiety creeping in if I’m not careful. I love the idea of studying the Psalms and might just have to do that. Thanks for sharing. XOXOXO
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Oh, my sweet, sweet sister! ❤ I hate that you experience it, too, but I'm so happy we can share together how we can fight it off! I'm almost finished reading the Psalms (I should be finished by the 10th of this month), but I'm strongly considering going through them again, this time either verse mapping or journaling. (I've only been reading and praying since August. I think writing my way through them will make even more headway.)
xxxooo
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