Date: verb (used without object), dat·ed, dat·ing… to go out socially
When you first meet someone that you are attracted to and want to get to know better, going out to the movies or dinner or the park seems like a no brainer. Then you get engaged and get married, and it’s just you two. You work on the week days and go out after work or on the weekends. You have fun and enjoy each other’s company. Then you have children and everything changes. Your world becomes consumed with meeting the needs of those who cannot do for themselves, often putting your own needs and the needs of your spouse on the back burner. Spending time together just the two of you, becomes more challenging. You now have to juggle the children’s schedule, babysitters, and work schedules. With this balancing act it can become easy to take your spouse for granted and soon fall into a routine of just being roommates.
It’s at this point of marriage when dating is so necessary. It is important to carve time out of your busy schedules just for each other. Spending time has to be intentional. If it is not made a priority for the both of you, it will not happen, and you will grow a part. Couples don’t grow apart on purpose. It takes time to drift in different directions, and is just a byproduct of business. Date your spouse prior to your actual date. Take time each day to just think about the other person. Keep them in the forefront of your mind. Send a text message or email just to say “I love you and I’m thinking about you”, that way when you do get to spend time with that person your thoughts will not drift to everything else that you could be doing. Train your mind to think of them and when you are together you are not just physically present, but emotionally present as well. Invest the time to keep your marriage balanced and healthy.
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