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July 9, 2012
A Woman's Emotions
by Barbara Rainey
Early in our marriage, Dennis and I were completely caught off guard by the emotions I began feeling. I remember the first time I was angry with Dennis. I had never felt angry with him the entire time we dated, were engaged, or in the early days of our marriage.
I remember thinking What do I do? Where do I go? Dennis was pursuing me to resolve our conflict, and I was so confused that I went into the bathroom, shut the door and thought, I can't get out of here. I'm stuck in this relationship.
I held the future of my marriage and my family in my hands.
We know we are created in the image of God, but many of us don't realize our emotions are a significant part of God's image imprinted within us. Women need to feel comfortable with who they are emotionally.
And this isn't easy, because many women aren't prepared to anticipate or handle the difficult challenges that are a part of being a wife and mother. Each new season of life—early marriage, pregnancy, raising young children, etc.—brings a new set of joys and difficulties, and many women are surprised by the intensity of their emotions.
As a woman experiences the various emotions in her daily life, she needs to feel loved and accepted by her husband so she can maintain a positive attitude. We are made in the emotional image of God; we shouldn't be afraid of those emotions when they crop up.
When I faced that early crisis in my marriage, I decided my relationship, which was a covenant I'd made to God, was too important not to work it out. So after stewing and thinking and praying, I left that bathroom. After some real communication, Dennis and I resolved the problem.
The next time you find your emotions have you feeling "stuck" in your marriage, don't stew in a bathroom. Talk it out. Resolve the conflict. Why? Because God designed marriage to be a covenant relationship, a safe haven, in which a man and woman can work through their emotions and glorify God in the process.
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