Let's be honest for a second; none of us are at our best when we are not feeling good. As much as we love our spouse, being sick doesn't make us the best versions of ourselves. We get cranky, and we lose patience with our spouse and children.
When couples get married, their hearts are fixated on the honeymoon phase as they dream of all the romantic moments they will share with their new spouse. The reality is, how we handle the times of sickness or moments when our spouse is not at their best will define our marriage. It is those moments where true love is on display because we love our spouse in a moment when they can do nothing in return for us.
This truth has hit my family hard over the past few weeks as the entire crew battled covid-19. What started with my teenage daughter methodically made its way through our whole family. I honestly do not know if I have ever felt as bad as I did while my body fought this mess. I can promise you that during those moments, I was not the best version of myself.
Fortunately, I married an amazing lady who is gracious and loving. She never stopped taking care of me, even when I was grumpy and irritable. Heather personifies the kind of love that is at its best when things are messy. Was I an inconvenience to her at times? Absolutely! She never griped about the multiple trips to the drug store or bringing me food and water as I isolated myself from the family.
When Heather came down with Covid, the baton was passed to me, and it was my turn to take care of her. As Heather's husband, it is my job to care for her during the good and bad moments. She is a blessing, and I never view her as a burden.
I want to encourage you, tangibly live out your love to your spouse in the moments when they are struggling. Whether it is covid-19, a man-cold, recovering from surgery... We contend with endless variables throughout our lives, and many of those variables require one spouse to step up for a season. Your spouse is a blessing, not a burden. If you treat them as a blessing during the hard times, your marriage will be blessed during every season you face!