Marriage Counseling
A Yard Worth Keeping
The Task Is Not Easy
Knowing God, your spouse, and your own heart is the work of a lifetime—a sacred commitment forged not in ease, but in resilient love.
It’s born through the faithful endurance of marriage struggles, the ache of heartache, and the slow healing of shattered dreams.
And yet, there are moments—perhaps even long seasons—when doubt creeps in. You wonder if the hard work of Christian marriage is worth it.
When so many others are walking away, what difference does one more broken covenant make?
But lasting, Christ-centered marriages are not built on feelings alone. They are cultivated through hope, humility, and holy perseverance.
Care & Cultivation
My neighbor takes great pride in her lawn. It’s flat, level, and lush—like a soft green blanket stretched perfectly across the land.
Picture a golf course: one flawless shade of green covering her entire acre without interruptions.
Then… there’s my yard.
The ground is uneven and bumpy, dotted with dirt patches every 20 to 30 yards.
At least three different types of grass—or perhaps weeds—grow at varying heights. It’s patchy, inconsistent, and honestly, a little embarrassing.
I look over and think, “Why can’t my yard look like that? Why won’t healthy grass grow here?”
But here’s the truth: my neighbor works for it. She invests time, energy, and care to create that pastoral, picture-perfect lawn.
You’ll often see her riding her tractor, spreading fertilizer—small droplets of nourishment delivered blade by blade.
She notices and pulls the weeds immediately (probably weeds drifting from my yard, if we’re being honest).
During the dry summer months, she waters faithfully, following a strict schedule.
In the evenings, she strolls through her yard like a careful gardener, inspecting every corner for signs of disease or disorder.
And me?
Well… I mow it. Occasionally, I might use the weed wacker.
People Say the Grass Is Greener on the Other Side
But the truth is simple: The grass is greener where you water it.
It thrives where you nurture it.
It flourishes where you feed it, and where you pay attention to what’s growing—and what’s being choked out.
If I bought my neighbor’s house, I would enjoy her beautiful lawn… for a little while.
But without the same intentional cultivation, the weeds would return, the grass would wither, and the dirt patches would reappear—just like they do in my yard now.
Because beauty doesn’t follow us.
Beauty follows faithfulness.
The Garden of Your Marriage
Our inner life and marriage are no different from a lawn.
A thriving, God-honoring marriage does not happen by accident.
It requires daily investment: time in Scripture, honest conversations, confession, grace, forgiveness, and intentional reflection.
We cannot expect emotional intimacy, spiritual unity, or peace to grow if we only mow the surface occasionally.
A healthy marriage needs consistent care—nourished by prayer, Scripture, and sacrificial love.
The weeds of resentment, distraction, and unmet expectations don’t just disappear.
They must be noticed, named, and uprooted—sometimes daily.
And in the dry seasons, when passion feels far away or burdens feel heavy, love must still be watered with faithfulness, patience, and hope.
A marriage rooted in Christ will yield fruit in its season—beautiful, lasting, and strong.