The Greatest Marriage Advice I Ever Received

The Greatest Marriage Advice I Ever Received

I have now been married a total of 482 days, so I want to clarify I am NOT a Marriage Advice Expert.  I want the best marriage ever and so far in my 482 days of marriage I have been very very happy. “Oh your still in your Honeymoon stage that why!”  Maybe, but it also has to do with the greatest marriage advice I ever received.  So listen up to all my single gals and guys, I want to pass on the advice I received.

A couple months before I met my darling husband Ryan, I thought I knew everything there was about marriage!  Oh yes, it can’t be hard, “Obey your husband and cook good food. (after all the way to his heart is through his stomach right?!)  I had always wanted a good marriage, so I always paid attention when anyone gave advice.  I’d file away in my filing cabinet in my brain under “Marriage Advice”.  I’d listen when the Christian Radio would give advice, I’d listen during preaching and teaching at church.  I’d take mental notes if I read something online or in an article. But by far some of my favorite advice came from long time married couples, theirs where funny, cute and full of very practical advice.

Then Ryan came along, well I knew immediately he was the one.  Everyone who saw us together knew it was right.  I wanted so badly to make sure this would work that I nearly knocked over my filing cabinet and double check.  I finally realized it was going right and needed to relax, family and pastors happily guided us along.  So when Ryan proposed and I accepted, the wedding advice started flowing in.  Boy I was ready!

Everyone including strangers in line at the supermarket gave advice, married, single, disgruntled and even kids!  Some advice I put in a file marked “Awesome Marriage Advice” others in “Marriage Advice Maybe?” or “Don’t ever use this Marriage Advice”.   The more advice I received something occurred to me, I’ve heard this all before.  For years I have been listening and learning what a real marriage is.  I didn’t turn my brain off when they talked about it just because I was single.  I toke it in, because I wanted to have the best marriage.

When pastors and trusted family members talked to us about what marriage was truly about.  That it wasn’t easy, that you had to work on it each day and that you had to give 150% every day.  That you might argue, she not pretty every moment of the day, he might smell funny and so on.  But both Ryan and I were not oblivious of the fact, we knew we had to work for it, we had been told for years.  We walked into the marriage knowing we had to work to have an awesome marriage.

Shortly before I got married, a group of us where talking.  We were talking about marriage advice they had received, laughing at some of it that we heard.  Then someone said the best marriage advice they got was during a preaching as a teenager.  The preacher said, “Marriage starts now as a young person.  You learn about it while you don’t have anyone in your life.  Not trying to listen to advice between making googly eyes at your future mate or discussing flowers and cake.  Listen now, don’t shut it off just because you’re single.”

Now 482 days into a blissful marriage, I have remember lots of the advice I heard for years: “Always kiss goodnight and good morning.”, “Never go a day without saying ‘I Love You’”, Obey your husband, honor your wife.  Pray and forgive each other.  Give, give, give but never give up.  I know years from now, that our marriage will be a strong one; I still take lots of marriage advice even now.  Ryan and I both walked into a strong marriage foundation because we listen for years what a good marriage is about.  So what is the greatest marriage advice? Start listening long before you get married. 

Happily Married,

Jacqueline Suzanne