Relying On God

Throughout the past several weeks, the idea of getting married has gotten increasingly terrifying to me.  Breaking up with my boyfriend and trying to reevaluate my life has caused a great deal of confusion to enter into my mind.  My entire life, I have wanted to be a wife and a mom, but as I’ve done all of the reading for the classes I’m taking this semester, I can’t help but feel nervous! The world today has such a different idea of marriage from what we are taught in the gospel.  It is hard to not be discouraged when you hear the ever-rising divorce rates and all of the things that will be faced in marriage. 
 In Drawing Heaven into Your Marriage, H. Wallace Goddard said, “When we feel hopeless, lost, and desperate, we should call upon Father. In return we, like Adam and Eve, will be shown the path for our journey Home.”  
We must rely on Heavenly Father to give us the faith and courage to press forward, even when life is hard, unsure, and scary.  This principle has helped me a lot in my life, not just at this time, but many times when I have struggled to know what I need to do with my life.  God really knows what is best for us and he ultimately wants us to be happy and to return to live with him again, even if we have to face extreme hardships in our mortal lives. 

As I was reading The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work, I was surprised by some of the examples that Gottman shared to illustrate his points.  The many examples of couples who live together but know very little of each other’s daily lives is appalling.  His examples really helped me to see the importance of developing a strong love map.  In order to avoid letting the struggles that you will face in your marriage tear you and your spouse apart, you must a have a strong and detailed love map.  Gottman said, “From knowledge springs not only love but the fortitude to weather marital storms. Couples who have detailed love maps of each other’s world are far better prepared to cope with stressful events and conflicts.”  Knowing details about your spouse allows for greater love and meaning in your relationship.  I’m grateful for the knowledge that I have gained so far from taking this class.  When I do eventually get married, I think I will be better prepared than I would have been otherwise.