Similar to many families this year, we find ourselves tightening the budget with focused diligence.  We worry more and more as we watch hard earned savings and retirement funds spin out of the accounts faster than the electric meter during summer.

I found my anxiety level notching up this week as another unexpected expense hit our household to the tune of $1800 to repair drain tiles in our basement.  My husband’s car is eight years old with 140,000 miles on it, and he is off to the repair shop today for what will be another $400 repair.

I am hearing similar stories from families I correspond with around the world.   The financial stress levels marriages are facing are enough to send couples over the edge.  They have never experienced something of this magnitude in their relationship.  It’s the part of marriage called ‘worse’- the word a couple seldom hears when they stand at the altar.

The ‘worse’ part of marriage comes with the magnitude of a twenty foot wave crashing over our heads.  We sputter and kick and scream as we are caught off guard.  This isn’t the comfortable married life we envisioned - there are inevitable scrapes and bruises that come with twenty foot waves.

When we come up for air and spew the water out of our mouths and noses, the next step to be taken is to reach out for the hand of our spouse.  They are not the enemy because of job loss, reduced pay and cut benefits - they are the partner God gave us to keep our heads above water.  We need to grab onto them with all our might for comfort and stability.

It’s impossible to provide comfort and stability to my husband if I fail to read God’s word every day.  The Bible keeps me grounded, reduces my anxiety levels, and provides insight and perspective.  It changes my attitude toward my husband, and I am able to draw closer to him with my heart, mind, and body.

After all, what warms the heart and casts away worries more than physical intimacy?  It seems to wash away the waves of worry. We come away from our times of intimacy with a different clarity and connectedness that brings renewed hope that we can conquer the world with God’s help.  The waves seem a bit smaller.

My favorite verse this week comes from Isaiah 43:2 - “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you.  Even when you walk through fire, and when the waters overwhelm you, I am there.”