A door-to-door salesman from a local cable company once stopped by Dave and Ashley Willis’ house with an offer they couldn’t refuse. At least, that’s how good the offer sounded at first. The man promised his company would take good care of Dave and Ashley and give them the best package at the best price.
However, the deal went south when Dave asked the salesman, “How long is this package available at this price?”
“Twelve months,” the salesman said.
“What happens after that?” Dave asked.
The salesman shuffled his feet and sheepishly answered, “Well, you’ll lose a few channels, or you’ll have the opportunity to keep them for a few dollars more.”
Dave said, “So, you’re telling me that your company will give me their best for a year to hook me into a relationship with them. Then, just when I think we have something special together, they’ll start giving me their leftovers – as little as it takes to keep me around.”
Giving customers leftovers is a lousy business model for a company. It’s a lousy model for a marriage, too.
When couples are dating, they give each other their best. They make time for each other. They’re romantic. They listen to each other and communicate well. Once their relationship settles into a routine, they shift into another gear and stop pursuing each other. They give as little romance, communication, and attention as necessary to “keep each other around.”
Dave and Ashley Willis are joining us on Focus on the Family with Jim Daly to share how to bolster your relationship by giving it your best, not your leftovers.
Listen on your local radio station, online, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, via Google Podcasts, or listen on our free phone app for practical ways to connect with your spouse more deeply than you have in years.
Dave and Ashley are the founders of StrongerMarriage.com and part of a Christian ministry called Marriage Today. They’ve also written a number of books on marriage. For a gift of any amount, we’ll send you a copy of Celebrate Your Marriage: 365 Daily Devotions for Busy Couples as our way of saying thank you for helping us support marriages. (Click here for details.)
While you’re online, why not take a few moments to try our free marriage assessment online tool? It will help you quickly determine what’s working well in your relationship and also identify areas where you may need some improvement.
