One of the first things I quickly discovered about having a garden was that it took a lot of time. Every single day I had to tend to it for some amount of time. If I neglected it for even one day, I could see the leaves withering under the hot sun. Of course, if I decided to be neglectful for longer periods of time, my garden would not only neglect to produce, but it would certainly die. So sure enough, I would go out every day to water everything, prune things as necessary, and make sure that everything was good to go.

Like a garden, marriage needs our time. If we don’t make that precious and necessary time to put into our marriage the love and care it needs, then it too will wilt, neglect to produce any sort of “fruit”, and eventually will die. When we take the time to tend to our marriage though, it flourishes. Eventually what we have sown into our marriage we will reap. The benefits and beauty will become abundant and nourishing.

Taking time for your marriage is essential if you want it to not only suvive but thrive. Life is always crazy, so we must intentionally make time for our spouse to tend and care for it. It is our job to sow seeds of love and in return we will reap tenfold. Just like a tiny seed can produce a great big plant bearing lots of fruit, a tiny seed of love into our marriage can produce a huge, healthy & thriving relationship with our spouse.

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Author : Ashley McIlwain

Ashley McIlwain, M.A., is a Marriage and Family Therapist, speaker, and writer. She is the founder and C.E.O. of the non-profit organization, Foundation Restoration, and blog LittleWifey.com, which are comprehensive resources committed to restoring the very foundation of society – marriage. She is committed to and passionate about helping relationships thrive. In the past Ashley worked with Moody Publishers and Dr. Gary Chapman as Managing Editor to launch and develop a website focused on premarital preparation. Ashley holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Palm Beach Atlantic University and a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy from Azusa Pacific University. Currently she and her husband, Steve, reside in Southern California.