I am convinced that keeping the emotional love tank full is as important to a marriage as maintaining the proper oil level is to an automobile.—Gary Chapman: The Five Love Languages.
As I’m driving down the interstate, the dashboard in my truck has a series of gauges. One of these is the oil gauge. It, of course, tells how much oil I have in my engine. This ensures that I keep the right amount of oil in the car, so that it doesn’t break down.
We don’t have an oil gauge on our spouse…or do we.
There have been times that I have missed a service on my truck. I get busy and skip it. Each time I do this, I inch toward disaster.
In our relationships, we know when our communication breaks down, or our patience begins to run thin, or our interaction becomes distanced or strained.
We can ignore the warning signs and keep moving forward. Or we can stop pay attention to the signs that are showing.
When you begin to see these warning signs, pull over and assess what is going wrong. The answer may lie in the amount of emotional fuel that is being put into your marriage.
Are you running on empty? Fuel up! Take time for one another. Bring home something that will communicate your love. Encourage one another—or simply say “I love you.”
Keeping the emotional fuel tank filled will do wonders to keep your relationship healthy and strong.