"That was a deposit" she said. I smiled and made the gesture of marking down a point on the imaginary chalk-board. "Just one?" I said playfully. "Maybe two" she said. I'd just offered a sincere apology for hurting her feelings by the way I said something.
How to make relational deposits and withdraws is a key skill in our marriage; especially because our natural temperaments are polar opposites. It is easy for us to offend each other by simply being ourselves, but not as easy to score points for pleasure. Simply said, Jill wants patient gentleness in conversation, while I want to solve problems and overcome challenges, quickly. Sometimes these feel mutually exclusive.
Ironically, our passionate conversation about meeting each others needs was en route to a session with twelve couples from a Church in Arlington, VA. The route was unknown, and it was dark and rainy for the rush-hour drive. The conditions served to heighten tension which had begun at the gas station in conflict about whether to use the debit card or cash. I "naturally" let fly with a few questions in rapid succession in attempt to solve the problem, but as we drove away, Jill' countenance revealed the fact that I'd overdrawn her love bank. It was going to take awhile to replenish the account. Arrgghh...
Thankfully, my wife's nature is to graciously persevere in teaching me how to love her. She began with this, "I don't think you understand how it affects me when you are intense and let go with rapid-fire questions. I wish you could be me for a day." That was my cue to empathize with her about how she was feeling, and to ask what she needed. Again, this was a good move. She was willing to talk.
We ended the conversation with prayer and some tears of relief and mutual statements of hope and resolve that we can and want to continue to learn to love. We also laughed about how we could give teach each other about deposits and withdraws from our respective love banks by commenting on each other's words and actions, "Plus one...minus two, etc." While this began as a joke, it will probably be something we do. That's out tip for increasing and improving pleasure. TELL YOUR PARTNER WHEN THEY MAKE A DEPOSIT AND WHEN THEY MAKE A WITHDRAW.
Ironically, the bow was tied on our conversation in our car, parked in front of the house where, couples were gathering to learn from us. This once again underscored the fact that we are all in process, on the journey...together. Thank you Holy Spirit for continuing to teach us.
Learning to live loving,
Jeff and Jill
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
Essential Skills to Strengthen and Protect Your Marriage
Marriage Coaching I is a user-friendly tele-class for couples wanting to strengthen and protect their own marriage and/or to begin the training process to help other couples. Get in on the next opportunity, beginning March 18! For more details, click here
- Four tele-classes accessible by phone or Skype
- Class manual delivered by email (pdf file)
- Four scripted dates that previous couples have loved
- Four Peer couple sessions to share and learn with other couples
What you'll learn:
- the heart and skill of effective listening: How to hold his/her heart
- the heart and skill of effective asking: How to open his/her heart
- the heart and skill of effective goal-setting: How to honor desires of the heart
- supporting growth and change: Essential relational support and encouragement
From the very first lesson we continue to gain simple but profound relationship skills. The principles are so easily applied...In our own relationship, we have been able to immediately use each of the learned skills with encouraging results. Historically our relationship has been stormy (but)...after implementing techniques as you have taught and demonstrated, we finally have hope of a more peaceful approach to conflict resolution...we are finding that if we drop back into our old patterns the discussions quickly heat up, but as we catch ourselves and begin to apply our new skills conversations promptly calm and become more productive. Again, this is simple, but so profound. Thank you. Dan and Doris, Colorado
If you are local to the Greater Washington, D.C. area, check out this live half-day seminar, March 20, presented by Seneca Creek Community Church, in partnership with Grace and Truth (us), click here to register.
- Four tele-classes accessible by phone or Skype
- Class manual delivered by email (pdf file)
- Four scripted dates that previous couples have loved
- Four Peer couple sessions to share and learn with other couples
What you'll learn:
- the heart and skill of effective listening: How to hold his/her heart
- the heart and skill of effective asking: How to open his/her heart
- the heart and skill of effective goal-setting: How to honor desires of the heart
- supporting growth and change: Essential relational support and encouragement
From the very first lesson we continue to gain simple but profound relationship skills. The principles are so easily applied...In our own relationship, we have been able to immediately use each of the learned skills with encouraging results. Historically our relationship has been stormy (but)...after implementing techniques as you have taught and demonstrated, we finally have hope of a more peaceful approach to conflict resolution...we are finding that if we drop back into our old patterns the discussions quickly heat up, but as we catch ourselves and begin to apply our new skills conversations promptly calm and become more productive. Again, this is simple, but so profound. Thank you. Dan and Doris, Colorado
If you are local to the Greater Washington, D.C. area, check out this live half-day seminar, March 20, presented by Seneca Creek Community Church, in partnership with Grace and Truth (us), click here to register.
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