There are seasons in every marriage that feel like a drought.  The crust cracks and the flora fades.  We pray for rain to fall upon our desolate places, only to know disappointment when our prayers seem to go unanswered.  We fail to see how anything can grow under such severe conditions.  We doubt.  We falter. We fail.

Even wetlands experience drought.  Extended periods of wet and dry are necessary to improve productivity in such an area.  Over time, organic material sinks to the bottom of a wetland basin.  Without oxygen, this material can only decompose a certain amount.  The soil becomes too soft for plants to take root and grow, causing a decline in the variety of flora that may grow in that region.  This in turn impacts the whole ecosystem.  A drought rejuvenates wetland productivity.  Oxygen allows further decomposition enriching the soil with much needed nutrients.

Droughts in a marriage can also improve productivity.  Sometimes we need the arid seasons in order to allow God's healing power to breath oxygen into the softening areas of our lives.  We take the rain for granted and fail to nurture our relationships.  Intimacy is a full time commitment which needs rainy and arid seasons in order to remain fruitful.

Next time your marriage feels as if it has hit a dry spell, perhaps instead of praying for rain you should pray for God's oxygen to bring new riches into your relationship.

"To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:" Ecc. 3:1