Happy Friday! Here we are at the end of Week 2! How’s it going? Are you ready to start applying what we’ve learned this week?

Here’s a little fun fact about me. My favorite pieces of jewelry are pearls. Not only are they beautiful, but I’m intrigued by how they’re made.

Pearls begin as tiny specks of sand or other foreign objects that slip inside the oyster’s shell onto its soft flesh. Little by little, the clam covers the irritant with nacre (what gives the pearl its luster and shine) and something beautiful emerges.

A pearl can take years to form. It doesn’t happen overnight. The oyster is diligent in transforming the very thing that threatens its quality of life into something of extreme value. The same thing happens in our marriage. Like the oyster, we too have an opportunity to transform conflict into something of value when it seeps in and irritates and inflames the tender flesh of our hearts.

In Chapter 4, Karen admonishes us to see conflict as good. She also reminds us to, “fight fair and behave like Jesus,” giving us practical tips on how to do so when working to resolve conflict with our spouse. Here are a few that stood out to me:

• Refraining from getting historical (not digging up the past).
• Agreeing to disagree.
• Speaking the truth lovingly.
• Remembering that our spouse is not the enemy.

Friends, healthy resolution of conflict helps us gain an understanding of our partner we wouldn’t have otherwise, and our relationship is strengthened as a result. Trouble will come, let’s be real. But with that trouble, we have an opportunity to let it do a work in us and become something beautiful. So be encouraged! And let those pearls that form from conflict become a beautiful and rare strand that you treasure because of the process it took to create it.

Here’s to loving your pearls,
Quanny

Let’s Chat:

Which of the tips for fighting fair will you commit to using when resolving conflict, and what did you learn this week that will help you do so? If the ones I’ve listed aren’t speaking to you, check out the others Karen gives on pages 90-93. Or feel free to choose any other applications from this week’s chapters.

Don’t forget, all comments are entered into this week's giveaway!

For Your Weekend:
Here’s the upcoming Week at a Glance to prep ahead for next week!