While talking to a friend the other day about some struggles she was having in her marriage, she told me of a remarkable experience that she created for herself and her husband where she was able to see her marriage from a higher perspective—and I believe it has application that will be beneficial for all of us who are striving to preserve and strengthen our marriages.
We must be willing to see things from a “higher” perspective
In her words (with minor editing changes):
“After everything I’ve been feeling about my marriage, I decided that I can’t keep waking up everyday and facing the same problems. Yesterday I felt a strong impression: “Be willing to see things from a ‘higher perspective’ with him.”
I thought, ‘What better way to do that than literally and figuratively?’ So I spontaneously booked us an excursion on a hot air balloon.
It was beautiful up there! Seeing things from that vantage point was really symbolic of what the “true scenery” of marriage is like.
Some spots were wild and undeveloped, while other areas of productive crop growth had clearly taken years of dedication and hard work to produce. Some parts were smooth and rolling, reminding me of femininity, and other parts were rugged and more masculine—but somehow it all blended together beautifully.
Even the rocks and weeds appeared complementary and interesting from so high above. In one spot you could see a mansion and in another spot a dilapidated rooftop. Yet in the grand scheme of the view, neither image was everything—they just represented moments.
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I loved that we were (and are) constantly moving and progressing. The landscape continued in every direction—we were never stuck, and likewise, I’m not stuck. If ever the saying “This too shall pass” had relevance to me, it was up in the sky with my husband today.”
Let us ever look at life and our marriages with a higher perspective, seeing things from a different view. If we knew NOW what we knew IN HEAVEN, would our choices/expectations/outlook be different? Absolutely! But life is hard and our daily choice to fight for happiness is worth it. Our spouses are worth it, our marriages are worth it, and we are worth it!
Janette Beverley is a lover of life, family, music, and the gospel of Jesus Christ.
She has a bachelor's degree in psychology with an emphasis in marriage and family therapy, and has five amazing children and one equally amazing husband.
Janette is excited to be writing for LDS Blogs and sharing her love and passion for finding the miraculous among the mundane, the awe-inspiring among the obvious, and the uplifting among the underestimated.
To read more of her work, you can visit Janette's personal blog here.
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