Trials in Marriage

I've been thinking a lot about marriage and how many people, including newly married friends we've had in our student married ward, get divorced. There are many things that can cause this to happen, but they all come about because of trials.  And I think Satan is trying his hardest to make sure that these trials break marriages and families apart.

Let's face it.  All marriages have trials, whether they be great or small.  Robert and I have definitely had our share in the past *almost* two years of marriage, both small trials and a big one.  Before I even met Robert or started dating him, I would think about my future husband.  A lot of the things I thought about were what ifs.

What if I married someone that I argued with a lot?
What if I married someone and we never could agree on any decision?
What if I married someone and they decided to leave the church?
What if I married someone and we just drifted apart?
What if I married someone and we could never have children?
What if I married someone who was abusive?
What if I married someone with an addiction?
What if I married someone who would leave me for some other girl? 

I kept thinking of these things, but then I started dating Robert seriously and then we got married, and I decided those questions weren't important.  The important question is What will I do when those trials come?  Because they will.  The trials might not even be huge, but each couple will experience them.

To be honest, I had no clue what I would do.  I didn't have an answer to how I would react when trials came.  I have learned a lot about myself as trials have come along in my marriage, and I am proud to say that I have an answer to my question What will I do when those trials come?  How will I react?  And my answer is: I sure as heck am not going to sit on my butt and hand my marriage over to Satan.  I am going to do whatever it takes to stay with the man I chose for time and all eternity.  Of course there are extreme circumstances where the only thing to keep you physically and emotionally safe is to get a divorce, but other than that, work and fight for your marriage!  The only person, other than your spouse and yourself, that can help you fight for your marriage is God.  Marriage is a three-way relationship, and if you have God in your marriage, it will not fail.

I have found that the trials in my marriage bring me closer to Robert (except for the trial of not agreeing on baby names.  Haha just kidding).  Trials bring me closer to Robert in ways that would not have happened otherwise.  Trials make or break you.  Trials make or break your marriage.  Let them make you.  Let them make you grow as an individual.  Let them make you grow closer to your spouse.  Let them build your marriage into something beautiful.