After having seen for ourselves how wonderful it is to actually go through a book together when we read Couples Who Pray, Jeff and I thought “I Promise” by Dr. Gary Smalley will be a good one to follow up on the former. Although we do not get to read on a daily basis as we did with the first mentioned book, we do look forward to reading together and make time. It is more than just forcing ourselves to bond when our respective plates seemingly overwhelm us (which happens to the best of couples out there). It also reminds us to honor the promises we gave each other on our wedding day.
I will not attempt to review “I Promise” by Dr. Gary Smalley just yet. But I’ll type away what the back cover says, just to give you, our dear readers, an overview.
Great marriages are built on a foundation of trust, not behavioral skills.
So not only is a harmonious, long-lasting relationship within every couple’s grasp, but emotional security is the cornerstone for the relationship you’ve always wanted. That means you don’t have to be a relationship guru to connect deeply with your spouse after all! You simply need to feel secure in your marriage — and to help your spouse do the same. Then the best relationship possible will happen naturally.
Creating security is easier than you think. It takes only five simple promises to each other. Promises you can most certainly make– promises this book will equip you to keep.
Even if I grew up hoping to be happily married someday, I never exactly had the confidence that it was ever going to happen. Living in a kind of home I grew up in did that to me. I had a ton of trust issues. But as I allowed the Lord to minister to my broken heart, He made me trust Him the things I have no control over as I struggled to “trust” my husband. It was one of the things that God has dealt with me. And I can only thank Him so much for giving me such an understanding spouse to put up with my varied manifestations of defenses.
How 5 Commitments Determine the Destiny of Your Marriage
- I Promise to Conform My Beliefs to God’s Truths
- I Promise to Be Filled by God
- I Promise to Find God’s Best in Every Trial
- I Promise to Listen and Communicate with Love
- I Promise to Serve You All the Days of My Life
So trust is not really something that comes easy for me. And as Jeff and I go through this book, we are yet again being taught the very foundations marriage should stand in. Even our ten year old marriage can use some TLC through this book. Expect me to share some bits and pieces as Jeff and I go through “I Promise” by Dr. Gary Smalley together. 🙂
