7 years ago today I married my best friend. August 7th will always remind me of the committment I made to love and support him through thick and thin. We started our marriage in the thick of his second year of medical school and have lived on a thin budget of time and money ever since.
Now, as he begins his final year of residency, I can’t help but reflect on God’s faithfulness in our marriage from our days as newly weds to becoming new parents amidst the many challenges and transitions of medical training.
Serving in marriage has been the single most precious and challenging creative habit I’ve worked to develop. Many may not see serving a spouse as a creative habit, yet, after 7 years of marriage, I can attest to the many ways creativity has helped our marriage through some challenging times.
Take for example the time both our cars broke down simultaneously in medical school when we were living on my single paycheck and did not have enough saved for one car down payment, nevermind two. We started a side business together using his medical know-how and my background in design. He got us in the market and I did the marketing! We got a working car and a golden doodle puppy named Carley as a result of our collaboration.
Carving out time for dates is another example of creativity in a medical marriage where both time and money are sparse. Given his constant need to study and strenuous schedule over the course of his medical training, we have made an effort to meet up and share a meal at lunch since we have been fortunate enough to work close to eachother in both medical school and residency. These midday breaks make his long nights of focused study/work much more bearable.
Anyway, you get the picture. Marriage, like any committment, takes work but creative habits turn challenges into opportunities to work together!
I was reminded of this truth while visiting the chapel we were married at during my recent visit to Colorado a few weeks ago. I felt lead to go back to the place it all started and reflect on what I’ve learned over the past 7 years while praying for creativity to help our marriage thrive over the next 7 years and beyond.
If you are married, I strongly encourage taking some time to reflect on the many ways you and your spouse have collaborated in creativity. You may be surprised how many creative habits you have already cultivated as a result.
I dedicate this post to my husband, my lifelong partner in creative problem solving!