Slow Dismantle

I headed  out for a quick run the other morning and as I was about to hit the corner, a large pick up truck turned toward me rather quickly and I saw its front, left tire spin off the wheel and roll down the intersecting street. The driver seemed to be unaware and I was trying to get his attention to let him know. As if he couldn't  tell he just lost the front wheel of his truck which would also cause him to lose control and drastically change his course. 

I continued running in the direction that the truck had just come from. I could smell the burning rubber from the tire and I saw bits and pieces of the tire along the way. I was surprised how long the trail of rubber crumbs went. It must have been at least a quarter of a mile, maybe longer. At one point a saw a huge chunk of rubber with tightly wound thread and steel that was meant to keep it all together. It  had come unraveled and ripped away causing all kinds of damage and ultimately the dismantle of the tire.

What was interesting to me was the gradual dismantle. Made me think of the Casting Crowns song " It's a Slow Fade". The wheel didn't just blow off all of a sudden. And more likely than not, it might have been prevented had the owner of the truck done some basic and proper maintenance on the tires. I'm no mechanic but I do know from past experience, you need to rotate and balance your tires regularly. 

I think our marriages can be like that too. They need to be maintained and treated properly. We don't wake up one day and say " I think I'll pick a fight with my hubby" or " I think I'll have an affair today" . It's a gradual dismantle of shredding... nagging, because we want things to go our way then we leave bits of shred down the hallway, he isn't loving me the way I feel loved so I'll withhold sex from him... More shreds left behind ...the little one sleeping in the bed with you so one of you ends up sleeping in another room... Little bits of shred. Or we can bring things into the marriage that are unhealthy. What we watch, what we read, even the friends we choose to hang out with, if they aren't good for us and support our marriage; can slowly unravel and rip us apart. 

I am enjoying the beautiful mornings here and like to sit outside with our new puppy while I have my Quiet time. I'm used to sitting in the chair next to my husband. I know he is used  to me sitting there with him. I thought about this on my run this morning after I saw those tires pieces. I couldn't help but think, it's a slow fade. I don't want to be that old couple where he's in one room and I'm in another when we retire. I love our morning's together and we only have a few hours together a day. Even if that time is spent sitting next to each other quietly reading. He will occasionally recite the paper to me. What's going on in the world. Who's having a birthday or which athlete has been traded to what team. I don't always find some of that important but he likes to share it with me and I like to be there for him to do so. I think that might be just some basic maintenance in protecting my marriage. To be purposefully present in the quiet moments of everyday life as well as the bigger moments. 

-Pressing On