His brow wrinkled in concern, Pastor Strutz revealed the results of our pre-marital personality tests. For every crest marked on my chart, Dave had a trough. If one area was my weakness, it was his strength. We were living proof of the old saying, “opposites attract”.
“Your differences could be a good thing…or not. How are you at communicating?”
“Oh, we’re great communicators,” I said.
Fast forward four months. Dave and I had set up house in our first apartment–which was strategically located next to the railroad tracks. (The managers conveniently forgot to tell us that when we signed the lease.) Our decor was an eclectic mix of college-aged bachelor pad, family hand-me-downs, and bargain friendly purchases made on a newlywed budget. Imagine a flag on one wall, a large wolf photo on the other, and a blue-and-white striped sofa in the middle of the living room.
One day when I was rearranging our wall hangings, Dave’s favorite framed piece of art–a work signed by the artist– slipped through my fingers. Shards of glass lay scattered about my feet. The frame was bent. What have I done? Dave’s going to be so upset. I spent the rest of the afternoon dreading the moment of my husband’s arrival; imagining the worst.
At the sound of my husband’s footsteps I opened the door, offered a perfunctory kiss, and hurried to the laundromat below. After folding a load or two of my own laundry–and offering to wash a neighbor’s darks–I finally made way back to our tiny home.
“I broke the picture. I dropped it and now it’s ruined.” The words sprang from my mouth as quickly as the tears spilled onto my cheeks. “Is that what you’re upset about? A picture?” And, instead of being upset, my husband laughed. A warm, I-love-you, it’s-not-a-problem sort of laugh. “We’ll just have it reframed, babe.” “Oh, okay.” Sniffle. Sniffle.
Great at communicating? Not me.
Even now, I sometimes struggle to express my feelings well. I prefer sweeping things under the proverbial carpet. But, my wonderful husband–being my opposite–thinks communication is great for a marriage. And, he’s right. No, I’ll never be as skilled a communicator as Dave, but I have learned a lot about it through our years together. Pastor Strutz might even be surprised to know our differences have been a good thing (most of the time).
Three Important Communication Pointers
- Pray together. It’s tough to be angry if you are praying with and for each other.
- Listen without interrupting. This includes controlling your inner-monlogue–don’t prepare a rebuttal while you pause to “listen”.
- Avoid trigger words. Words like always and never are especially inflammatory when they’re attached to the word you.
What are your best communication tips? Why not share them with us?
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.