Psalm 91:2

Last winter, as the snow fell and life became barren, my marriage followed suit. I can't pinpoint what changed. Perhaps it came from years of issues we thought were resolved yet really stayed just below the surface, ready to jump back to the forefront whenever we got into a fight. Maybe it came as a result of the fact that I was working on a big project that demanded more of my time and energy. Maybe it was the seven-year itch I'd heard others warn me about. I can't say. All I know is that everything in our relationship changed and I didn't like it. More accurately, I didn't like my husband. I voiced my complaints. Loudly.I fell into a pattern of survival, clinging to anything that would help support or sustain me through that trying time. I found solace by talking to friends, knowing they loved me and my husband enough to remain unbiased and pray for us as a couple rather than just listen to my side and tell me what they thought I wanted to hear. But my greatest source of comfort came from a passage of Scripture I'd long held on to: Psalm 91. A friend compelled me to take its words to heart as she memorized them. I quietly followed suit as they offered relief and a promise I wouldn't find elsewhere. The words resonated with me at a deeper level than ever before. As I began committing them to memory, I found myself constantly stopping at verse 4: "He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection."

Adapted from TCW article "Surviving Marriage's Winters" By Stacy Voss.