"A need for marriage maintenance" was the title of a local newspaper article that caught my attention recently. While the author was drawing a comparison between the need to perform routine preventive maintenance on one's vehicle and the need actively to maintain one's marriage, to me his comments could also apply to our church activities.
He suggested that people in general tend to expect peak performances from their vehicles, their spouses, and themselves. But too few of us invest the time, money, or patience required to keep a vehicle running smoothly. And too often our commitment and personal involvement in our marriage don't come up to the high expectations and standards we've set for ourselves and our spouses. With a car, minor adjustment or simple repair can often turn into a sizable investment or major overhaul if routine preventive maintenance is neglected. And the same is true of a marriage. At the end of his article, the author gave this advice: "It is, indeed, easier to change oil than to change engines.
"It may also be easier to change habits than to change spouses." Deseret News, April 12-13, 1984.
