Lucky Charms and Other Oddities in Marriage

When I eat my Lucky Charms, I always eat the oaty things first. Even if it takes 10 extra minutes to finish a bowl, I’m going to save the marshmallows for last. It isn’t about “saving the best for last” or anything like that, that’s just how I do it. I'm not sure why. It just is. My wife, Lisa, finds this behavior odd. Truth be told, there are probably several things that I do that Lisa finds odd and sometimes maybe even irritating.

I would dare to say that everyone has at least a few habits, quirky behaviors, and strange ways of doing things. They may be a part of your upbringing or something developed later in life. In marriage, husbands and wives have to decide if their spouses’ quirky little behaviors are going to be a constant source of contention and irritation, or if your relationship is bigger than the minor things that might annoy you. (Please know that I’m not talking about a spouse's major problems like addictions or irresponsible behaviors rooted in extreme selfishness—just normal, little, daily habits that might not be your way of doing things.) If allowed, these little irritations can become breeding ground for division in a marriage. Satan would delight in nothing more than to take the smallest foothold of irritation and turn it into an impassable barrier of discontentment.

So next time you’re tempted to critique your spouse, just laugh it off together, because what you’re about to make a battleground can shape your relationship for years to come.

I’ve got a feeling that after I’m gone Lisa’s going to eat her Lucky Charms oaty things first, just to remember me. Or maybe not. She may still find that odd.

 There are still a few spots left for the Aug. 31-Sept. 2 Marriage Enrichment Retreat Weekend at

Fall Creek Falls State Park Inn

If you're in the Middle Tennessee area and are interested call me at 615-631-2511 for more info.