Adventures in Marriage {5 benefits when you get out of your comfort zone}

These days we’re babysitting.

Correction.

Puppy-sitting.

Our son and daughter-in-love have adopted a puppy. And by default, so have Robert and I.

Our son has a business, and this dog is going to be his business’ mascot. (Once it learns to do its business outside!) Until that point, the puppy visits us in our home when Alex needs to be in the studio.

Rob and I work from home.

We’re kinda comfortable in our routine – he’s in his office at one end of our little cottage in the woods, and I work in the sunroom at the other end of the house. Now and again we pass in the hallway,

and share a cuppa tea and a bite between meals.

Comfortable, right?

This puppy has provided everything except comfort!

But it has been an adventure around the Ferguson house lately. Have you ever gone to a dog park? Yah – that was an adventure… this puppy can hold her own with a full-grown pit bull. (sigh)

So – this juxtaposition between comfort and adventure has made me realize…

Comfort is not Conducive to Adventure

Having the puppy in our daytime lives has made it clear that comfort and adventure cannot be put in the same sentence. And as wonderful as comfort in marriage can be – it’s not as fun as an adventure. Every couple’s definition of adventure is going to be different.

Some couples are nomads – living out of suitcases and touring the world. (I wrote a post about 3 couples who live this way – click HERE to read it! And there’s a family of 6 who have been doing this for years.)
Some couples start a family business.
Other couples adopt children.
Some couples take care of a new puppy and all the adventures that entails.
There are couples who go on mission trips for weeks and years at a time.
Some couples go on safari – or get lost while hiking their neighborhood trails.
A few couples emigrate to other countries. (and others move from one city to another on the spur of the moment)
Many couples build new homes. (or oversee the construction of their home)
Some families educate their children at home. (BTW – I’m a ‘graduated’ homeschooling mom!)
Other families open their homes to couch-surfers – or go couch-surfing themselves!
Most couples encounter the adventure of an empty nest at some time.
Some couples pursue a degree to change professions.
A few couples take on the challenge of living fully in the face of an illness, or advancing age.
And for some, driving a different direction to go to the grocery store can be an adventure… 😉

What’s your definition of “adventure”?

exciting

unusual

bold

risky

No matter what you consider an adventure, there are at least 5 benefits for your marriage:

5 Benefits of Adventure in Marriage

1. Planning for and before an adventure can fill you with hope for the future.

2. Adventures build your faith in God and His goodness, because sometimes all your own efforts won’t make stuff work, but adding God into the equation can allow everything to add up.

3. Experiencing an adventure together cements your bond – your love can grow strong(er).

4. Praying together before, during and after an adventure develops your connection with each other and God. In prayer, you can really hear your spouse’s heart.

5. Adventures grow your ability to take action together. Supporting your spouse while in the adventure builds a team-work marriage. You know what they say, right? Teamwork makes the dream work!