Finding Time for Each Other at Christmas

Whether you’ve been dating for a few months, are planning your wedding or have been married for years, the Christmas season can easily become a time of year when you see less of each other. While there’s certainly nothing wrong with shopping, wrapping gifts and enjoying the festivities, these things can all cut into your couple time. Staying connected throughout the holidays often takes a little extra effort, but it’s always worth it.

If you’re planning a wedding on top of enjoying the holiday, you’re probably even busier, but it’s important to take time away from the whirlwind of seating charts and diamond engagement rings to spend some quality time together. It’s unlikely that you’ll look back on this Christmas season and wish that you had baked another batch of cookies or attended a particular party, but if you don’t spend time with the one you love most, you’re likely to regret it.

In “The Purpose-Driven Life,” Rick Warren writes,

Time is your most precious gift because you only have a set amount of it. You can make more money, but you can’t make more time. When you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life that you’ll never get back. Your time is your life. That is why the greatest gift you can give someone is your time.

It is not enough to just say relationships are important; we must prove it by investing time in them. Words alone are worthless. “My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action.” Relationships take time and effort, and the best way to spell love is “T-I-M-E.”

In other words, the best way to show another person that we love them is by giving them our time. This statement of love becomes even stronger when there any many things competing for our time and energy. By putting the one that you love first, you demonstrate that they are more important than anything on your to-do list.

While intentionally spending time with one another is important in any stage of a relationship, it can be especially critical if your white gold engagement ring hasn’t been on your finger very long. Engagement is a time to not only prepare for a wedding, but also to prepare for marriage, and everything you do during this time helps to establish the habits you’ll keep as a married couple.

So, how do you carve out some time just for the two of you? First, you need to make it a priority. Writing together time on your calendar may not seem very romantic, but by putting it on your schedule, you’re more likely to follow through. Second, you may need to say no to a few things that won’t really matter in a month or two.

Time is at a premium at Christmas, which makes it even more precious. Don’t miss this chance to give the one your love such a valuable gift.