C O M M I T M E N T T E A

Commitment Tea

Here’s a scary word, C O M M I T M E N T…. This is a word that will have the strongest person pause. The word doesn’t seem all that scary to me. I mean think about it, we’re committed to all kinds of things that we probably don’t think of as commitment, as much as we think of it as everyday life. We’ve all signed leases, mortgages, car notes, contracts, etc. All of these are examples of commitment to pay or render a service of some sort, but because it’s beneficial to us it doesn’t seem like a commitment.

Commitment is the cornerstone of relationships, whether it's romantic or platonic. Of course, they mean different things based on the type of relationship you have. In a platonic relationship, commitment can’t make or break it, but it’s important to know that you have someone that’s in your corner in times of need, someone who can give you advice and tell you when you’re wrong. You have to have a person that’s committed to being your friend through thick and thin.

Marriage is a whole other ball game where commitment is REQUIRED. You should be committed not only to your spouse, but to God. Commitment to your spouse means that you’re committed to being faithful, communicating, being kind, being vulnerable, honest, etc. The commitment that marriage requires sounds all well and good when you’re in your beautiful gown speaking your vows to the love of your life and surrounded by your loved ones, right? When times get hard, the commitment you made to God and your spouse have to take precedence. We aren’t perfect and mistakes will happen and that’s where forgiveness and understanding come into play. Commitment shouldn’t be based on your circumstances; commitment should be despite your circumstances!

By now, you all know my story. Commitment is something I thought it was a given in my marriage, until it wasn’t. We both did things to one another that caused us to forget about the commitment that we made to one another and to God. Our actions have caused a snowball effect that has literally made us question everything about ourselves and our marriage. Our lives will never be the same, but it’s up to us to determine if the commitment we made is worth fighting for or not.

So, let’s forget about other people for the moment. What about the commitments that you make to yourself? It’s so easy to get wrapped up in relationships, family, and work, but what about you? I can most certainly say that I lost myself in all of this. I was a wife and mommy; my life was everything that I wanted. But when my world came shattering down around me and just one of those puzzle pieces was taken out, who was I? Honestly, I’m in the process of figuring that out. It’s perfectly ok to be good with being a wife and mommy but you have to make a commitment to yourself that you’re not going to lose yourself in that. The man may leave, the kids will grow up and start their own lives, what happens to you? Commit to bettering yourself in some way; pick up some books, travel, join a service organization, start a blog! What’s better, I implore you to commit to being happy, having peace, and loving yourself better than anyone else can!

What's your commitment tea… any thoughts?