Call Me Cupid Part 2-Conflict Resolution in Marriage

I love my husband. He's the one I get to experience life with and it is always such an adventure. He comforts me after a rough day at work and he takes care of me when I'm sick. We've been ziplining, kayaking, rafting, and skiing together. Our favorite thing to do though is going out for a good meal or cooking a nice one together at home.

God gave me a great gift with my husband, but it has not always been rainbows and butterflies. In fact, within our first year and a half of marriage we had some pretty big challenges when it came to conflict. For starters, my husband hated it and I craved it. We both matured from how we viewed conflict, but then we had to learn how to deal with it. During an argument, I would become domineering and emotional and my husband would a lot of times just cave. By the grace of God, we have both grown from this. First we recognized the issues and then we talked about what we needed to work on. Now I am a lot calmer during conflict and my husband is able to stand his ground.

The argument itself is one thing, but working towards a solution is another. When I have any kind of issue, I want to talk through things immediately until it's worked out. My husband, on the other hand, needs time and space. We had to compromise. This might sound weird, but we take a few minutes of silence to "cool down". It takes me a little longer, so often times he comes over to me to smooth things over and then we talk and apologize if necessary.

The best thing about the arguments we have is that we don't hold onto them. Many couples do hold onto things and then it spirals into something worse. It's important to find full closure in conflicts with your spouse or else it will just resurface. Processing with your spouse during a time when you aren't in an argument is a good way to address conflict resolution. Conflict is healthy in a marriage because it shows you're engaged, but it's important to figure out how to deal with it appropriately in your marriage.