Marriage is two becoming one flesh.
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My junior year (high school) English teacher was a devout Christian who was also very down to Earth relative to her persona and approach to instruction. Most everyone at our small private academy liked her instantly because of the latter, though her faith did seem, to most of us, to be a little extreme. We knew this because she was akin on occasion to detailing stories about how her faith intersected with her life outside of the four walls of our classroom, within her family, marriage, etc. And she was nonchalant with her delivery. As if everyone within earshot would be privy / copasetic to her particular "holy-spiritualized" outlook on life.
Once she relayed to us that she'd felt an overriding negative sense of "mother's intuition" regarding a planned trip her teenage son was set to take. This trip involved air travel with other friend's of her boy, therefore the notion of pulling the plug on said trip would no doubt be disappointing to him. But, in the end, she did so, and of course, from there, they wondered if they'd ever know why exactly these feelings came on. But, nothing came of either their wishes nor (thankfully) any of the negative energy relative to those who traveled sans her son.
In the end, it was clear that she had no regrets on following through as the mother of her only child.
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I have no idea whose hand that's supposed to be at the bottom of this Sunday School-like illustration, but nonetheless, I like how it emphasizes a protective covering that's layered, top down.
And this brings up the topic of hierarchy within marriage which is distinctly Scriptural. In contrast to that, you might find:
Many years ago, I was fed up with my job as an architect, and after applying elsewhere (at other firms here in Jackson) to no avail, I started wrestling with the idea of changing vocations. My employer at the time was likely inclined to keep me within the position I was in for many years to come, but nonetheless, I felt so much inner disappointment as to what I was doing to earn a living. Keep in mind too that my struggles with Internet porn were really ramping up during this time - both at home and at work - which certainly added to the mix of difficult emotions.
On the home front, we had two toddlers that my wife was taking care of full-time, therefore she was already greatly distressed just in dealing with those little sinners. To add to that - my own distress, as her husband, to the mix only made things that much more difficult for our marriage during this season.
So we fought. And fought. And man, whilst looking back, did I ever need some high caliber friends to minister / counsel me, but this was decades ago. Angie and I were in our 30s.
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Today, those aforementioned toddlers are young women (16 & 14), and my wife is all about being Super Mom. Super Mom is dedicated (150%!) to her children as if the basis of their futures as successful citizens of the US is tied exclusively to her performance as the Turner matriarch.
So, as you might imagine, I get some kickback from her when we disagree on exactly how she should be executing her role. And keep in mind that this rarely happens, and more often than not, she'll come to me for input knowing full well that I've earned it as her husband. And I love that.
Now back to this whole notion of intuition. Mother to children. Husband to wife. Wife to husband.
Getting soaked from life's downpours isn't the end of the world. In fact, oftentimes we learn an awful lot about ourselves and our circumstances relative to our identity in Christ (faith) through those downturns in life. But, we can only take on so much water, and that's a truth that ultimately no one wants to vouch for (die through). The notion that what does not kill you makes you stronger isn't necessarily true, though I'll admit that it does sound very western (American) and easily branded.
Taking that into account, pay heed here to what I'm about to say: Your spouse, because they truly are your better half (remember, one flesh), is best suited to protect you from your own self out of holistic self-preservation. To be more specific, they know your story, your limits, your heart and this all adds up to understanding you from a historical standpoint. Therefore, exhibiting stubbornness is understandable early on within marriage whilst receiving their input to whatever you've chosen to disclose, but over time, this needs to cease and be replaced with an attitude (& subsequent responses) of gratuity. Unless, of course, you find yourself married to a mentally / emotionally ill or untrustworthy spouse, but we're assuming here that's not the case.
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