Maytag Marriage advice...

Decade-old Dependability
I just saw this 55-year-old washing machine advertisement and thought the tagline was still incredibly relevant for marriages today:

"It's ten years old. It's seen a lot of hard work. It's running as good as new."

photo via Vintage Paper Ads

Unfortunately many people today invest more into their household appliances than they do into their most important relationships.
 
You wouldn't throw rocks in your washing machine on purpose. You wouldn't try running it without the most basic ingredients of soap+water and expect anything other than the same dirty clothes you put inside. But too often we meet couples who continually try taking shortcuts in their relationships and then they complain about the results.

You might remember that Maytag's repair man developed the nickname "Ol' Lonely" because unlike other appliances that broke down at a certain age, his brand was known for being dependable and hard-working (making him a repair man without any repairs to do).

Built Strong to Last Long

In your own life, rather than having people think "this will never last," wouldn't it be great if you invested so heavily into your closest relationships that you developed a reputation for dependability, hard-work, and value?

Here's to a new decade where your marriage and your most important relationships will enjoy the rewards of following God's plan for marriage and investing the hard (but valuable) work that these famous people speak of:

"All those "and they lived happily ever after" fairy tale endings need to be changed to 'and they began the very hard work of making their marriages happy." -Linda Miles

"More marriages might survive if the partners realized that sometimes the better comes after the worse." -Doug Larson

"People are often enamored with my Super Bowl ring. But it's my wedding ring that I'm most proud of. And having a good marriage takes even more work than winning a Super Bowl." -NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer

"Let's define love this way: Love is…the commitment of my will to your needs and best interests regardless of the cost." -Tim Kimmel