My husband is truly the most remarkable person I know.
He is funny and kind, handsome and intelligent, wise and humble, patient and hardworking. Anyone who knows him would agree.
We were high school sweethearts, so we have known each other longer than we haven’t, and we have been blessed in so many different ways since we met 27 years ago.
I love my husband with all my heart. I am so grateful for all the ways he helps me and our children, for the laughter he brings to our home, for the millions of thoughtful things he does to help us through our days.
Grateful for blessings
God blessed me far beyond what I deserve when He brought my husband into my life. I thought that when we first met, and I have thought that every day since.
Ours is a love beyond all telling, beyond all measure.
And yet, in the midst of our busy family life, we still need to set aside time together to connect, to share, and to plan. Carving out time together is a necessity for every married couple, no matter what.
Why? If you don’t, you lose touch, you find it difficult to find things in common, you gradually drift apart as everyday distractions come between you.
Even the most loving couple needs to spend time together to nurture their relationship.
Spending time with God
If this is true, then even more so we each need to spend time with our first love: Our Lord.
How often do we put off prayer time or spiritual reading or Eucharistic Adoration because we can’t seem to fit it into our day?
Skipping this necessary time with Our Lord is a detriment to our relationship with Jesus, the most important love of our lives.
This Lent, which begins February 14, make a date with Our Lord and plan to fall in love with Him all over again.
Maybe it will be a commitment to 15 minutes of prayer time each morning or meditating on the Scripture readings of the day.
Maybe it will be attending weekly Mass at least once or twice besides the Sunday obligation.
Maybe it will be spending 30 minutes of quiet Adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament.
Share relationship
Whatever it is, carve out concrete times for Our Lord this Lent and strive to show your children just how important it is to make time for Jesus.
Make dates with Him amidst your busy schedule and keep them. Nurturing your relationship in this way will outweigh any earthly commitment in your schedule.
“Fall in love, and you will not leave Him,” said St. Josemaria Escriva.
Love does not grow without quality time spent together.
Our Lord’s love for each of us is beyond all telling, beyond all measure. Do you love Him enough to give Him your precious time?
Show Him then. He is waiting for you, yearning to fill your heart with more love than it can hold.
Julianne Nornberg, mother of four young children, is a member of St. John the Baptist Parish, Waunakee.