Week 317: Marriages and Pandemics
Please join us this week and in the weeks to come in praying for marriages living through this pandemic.
Let me confess initially that I have no expertise in living through a pandemic. I, as most of you, have not been down this road before, but I don't believe expertise is necessary to make some general observations and to call you to join us in prayer during this time. So, here we go.
First, though marriages are experiencing some profound changes during this time, many, many things continue to be the same. The "how" may be different, but marriages still must carry on with the normal and necessary activities of their lives. This includes dealing with all the life situations I have written about in other posts. Children with special needs do not cease to have special needs; workaholics don't stop wanting to work; military deployment doesn't end; the stresses of ministers do not disappear etc.
Second, the differences in how individuals in marriages deal with stress will likely be exacerbated during this time. One spouse may be frozen by fear while the other just wishes some distracting sporting event would be active, even curling. You can see where conflict would occur here.
Third, the desire to be serving the community may run deep in one while the other may think huddling with the family is the first and maybe only responsibility during such a time as this.
You can probably add a fourth, fifth, hundredth observation that would be good to remember as you pray for marriages this week. Please do. I am sure there are life situations being stressed about which I am clueless.
Instead of leaving you with a bullet list of prayer requests this week, I would suggest we all use Romans 12:12, 13 as a guide:
"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality." (NIV)
Let me confess initially that I have no expertise in living through a pandemic. I, as most of you, have not been down this road before, but I don't believe expertise is necessary to make some general observations and to call you to join us in prayer during this time. So, here we go.
First, though marriages are experiencing some profound changes during this time, many, many things continue to be the same. The "how" may be different, but marriages still must carry on with the normal and necessary activities of their lives. This includes dealing with all the life situations I have written about in other posts. Children with special needs do not cease to have special needs; workaholics don't stop wanting to work; military deployment doesn't end; the stresses of ministers do not disappear etc.
Second, the differences in how individuals in marriages deal with stress will likely be exacerbated during this time. One spouse may be frozen by fear while the other just wishes some distracting sporting event would be active, even curling. You can see where conflict would occur here.
Third, the desire to be serving the community may run deep in one while the other may think huddling with the family is the first and maybe only responsibility during such a time as this.
You can probably add a fourth, fifth, hundredth observation that would be good to remember as you pray for marriages this week. Please do. I am sure there are life situations being stressed about which I am clueless.
Instead of leaving you with a bullet list of prayer requests this week, I would suggest we all use Romans 12:12, 13 as a guide:
"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality." (NIV)
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