"And He has given us a treasure called right now, And this is the only moment we can do anything about"~Steven Curtis Chapman

When I look back over my life so far, the best and worse decisions that I have made have always been preceded by that feeling of “there is something not quite right here.” You feel your stomach start to sink, your heart rate increases, and it’s as if you need to change something.

It’s Thanksgiving again. However I think it has become a day to feast and watch football. So I am going to do my best in this post to talk about what I am most thankful for. No, I am not going to get all sentimental and cheesy. Stay with me and you may like this post.

What I am most thankful for in my life is my marriage. My marriage means so much and teaches me truths I would not have known unless I was married.

What I love most about my marriage is how simple it is. Stay with me and I will explain.

So Mitch, how is marriage simple?

Saying how simple my marriage is sounds strange and may even be kind of an oxymoron. Our marriage did not start simple and it has never lacked complexity. However we get better at marriage every year that we are together. We have simply realized that we only have so much time and energy in each day. We have only been trusted with a certain amount of money as well. It is important to us how we budget and spend the resources that God has trusted us with. That was a simple reality that has changed the way we live our lives together and in the real world.

But life is so hectic sometimes and it’s hard to find balance.

Life can be hectic and can quickly find its way out of balance. You have to work to get things back into balance. During our first year or so of marriage we worked hard and did not have as much time together as we would have liked. My wife and I work outside of the home and both of our jobs can sometimes cause us to work longer hours than normal. However we’ve learned to make it a point to spend time together and put it on our calendars.

We also have different personalities, but a lot of the same interests which make spending time together so enjoyable. We both love cooking together, music, travel, sports, great food, and we love talking about things that matter to each of us. Our values also align, which is so important, and we still make each other laugh and smile.

What’s so important about marriage that your are writing a whole post on it?

What is important about a marriage is it is the only relationship in the world that can show the love between God and His bride. We all can look at marriages and learn. We have the ability to explore the mysteries of God in marriage.

One thing that I have learned in marriage, that I hope other people can learn, is that marriage is not always equal (you give 50%, I give 50%). Sometimes one partner will be carrying a heavier load than the other. Sometime you will carry a heavier load. The point is to be a support for your spouse and to sometimes make sacrifices for your spouse. Sometimes you will have to give 90% of yourself. But you know what? You bring out the best in each other, and your support and giving  love is the way to do that.

If you are giving of yourself and your spouse is giving of themselves, you will begin to model a “how-to” do this thing called marriage and not a “how-not-to” to your kids and grandkids.

All that to say this:

As we enter the Holiday Season, be thankful for your loved ones and your marriages. Even if you are not in a marriage, every relationship gives you chance to be thankful and a chance to give of yourself to them.

It’s important to realize that your life does not belong to you. It belongs to the one who gave the ultimate sacrifice, and you are here to give of yourself and leave your mark. You were given gifts and talents to give of yourself.

It is important to give of yourself. It is important to have relationships and to give selflessly to those relationships. It is not possible to have a fulfilling life without having open arms to give to others. If you close up and decide not to give of yourself (which is pretty selfish), and you decide to go it alone, you will find anything that you get from life will be meaningless.

You and I were made for relationships. We were made for God and for each other. We need each other. So remember what you should be truly thankful for this Holiday Season, the relationships with your husband/wife, your children, your family, your friends.

All this because when you give, you will have so much more to be thankful for. That’s how simple it really is!