Marriage is a wonderful thing. Both the husband and the wife are given the wonderful gift of lifelong companionship, a privilege to be wholly and fully able to love a person and be loved, as well as the great opportunity to know the Lord in a way deeper than what the man and the woman experienced before they got married.
However, after the bliss of the wedding ceremony comes the fun and exciting stage of the married life, complete with all its ups and downs.
Thus, both the man and the woman must prepare themselves for it. To help all to-be-married couples and newlyweds along the way, here's a short list of what you should expect after the wedding bells.
1. Bills
Both of you need to realise that after the wedding ceremony's blissful moments comes the staggering challenge of raising money to pay for all the bills. Housing mortgage, automobile payments, and daily food allowances are just some of these. As a couple, you'll need to talk about how you will be able to pay for all your expenses.
2. Household chores
You'll need to agree with one another as to who prepares the food for meals, who sweeps the house clean, who throws the trash out at night, who does the laundry, and perhaps who scrubs the bathroom every week. These might sound small and unimportant before the wedding, but after the "I do's," these things will really nag at both of you. Decide to serve one another and offer to do the chores for each other.
3. Pregnancy and child-rearing
Some couples fail to realise that their time won't be just for one another, because at some point in time there's a good chance a baby's going to come, whether biological or adopted. Choose to make adjustments for the wife's pregnancy (if any), and make more adjustments for the children.
4. Bigger waistlines
Let's face it: We will get fat sometime in our marriages. My wife took such good care of me, that before we got married I was totally thin with a gaunt face. Fast forward into our marriage, and in just a few months after the wedding I jumped 2 sizes (from Small to Large)!
Knowing this, be prepared to see each other in a different light. Men, continually assure your wives that your eyes are for her alone – and don't look at another woman to lust for her (see Matthew 5:27-30; Job 31:1). Remember that God gave you the best, and that she should always be the most beautiful, most sexy and most attractive woman to you.
5. A shared bed
Actually, it's more than just a shared bed. It's a shared life. You won't live alone anymore, and thus expect that your bed, your bathroom, and your personal space will have more than just you.
