Reflections on Marriage—Z is for Zeal
Zeal Defined
One definition of the word “zeal” is “great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective". I like this definition because it goes along with my mission statement to “empower individuals, revitalize marriages, and fortify families through the mastery of choice.” A happy marriage is created by choosing to fill it with zeal!
Body Surfing
I remember a happy experience with my husband David when we must have been showing a little too much zeal or enthusiasm! We were at a church party at a beach near Salinas, California. Our bishop had brought a lot of wet-suits so all the youth could have fun body surfing and playing in the ocean. When all the youth grew tired and the wet-suits were sitting unused on the sand, our bishop asked if David and I wanted to use them, which neither of us had ever done before. We decided to give it a try and pulled them on. We held hands and ran into the ocean and had a wonderful time laughing and playing and gradually learning how to body surf. After some time, we decided to rest for a few minutes on the sand together when we heard a teenage boy say as he walked by with his friends, “They look like they’re having a little too much fun.”
I thought to myself, “No, definitely not too much fun! Just the right amount to keep a marriage vibrant and alive.”
Do it with Zeal!
I was glad we could show those teenagers that even an “older” couple that had already been married for over thirty years still knew how to have fun! Whether we are playing in the ocean or cleaning the garage, David and I always do it with zeal—we just love to be together!
Nurturing Marriage
I agree with President Russel M. Nelson who said in a talk entitled “Nurturing Marriage”:
Marriage brings greater possibilities for happiness than does any other human relationship. Yet some married couples fall short of their full potential. They let their romance become rusty, take each other for granted, allow other interests or clouds of neglect to obscure the vision of what their marriage really could be. Marriages would be happier if nurtured more carefully.
Zeal
Zeal
for marriage is
a spiritual enthusiasm
that comes from
feasting on fruits
of the Spirit
as you both
enjoy the challenging
journey of life
together as eternal
husband and wife.
But the fruit of the spirit is
love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith,
meekness, temperance….
If we live in the spirit,
let us also walk in the spirit.
—Galatians 5: 22-23, 25
(An excerpt from ABC’s for a Happy Marriage: A Collection of Original Poetry and Biblical Scriptures)