Revitalize Your Relationship: Embracing the Power of 'New' and 'Different

As New Year’s Day has come and gone, it's time to check in on everyone's resolutions. Some are still going strong, while others may have lost momentum. Often, we find ourselves caught up in the idea of doing something 'new' versus doing something 'different.'

We can use this time of year to turn the page in our relationship. Let's redefine 'new' in our relationships. What is new? 'New' doesn’t exit, but we have the power to bring it into existence. I don’t to scrapbook. I do love the movie New in Town, where they talk about scrapbooking. If I decide to take it up, it’s a new hobby. New is great, but new for the sake of new can lead you down a path you don’t need to go.

Are things stale in your marriage? Can you see the end of the conversation after a few sentences? Do you know how Sunday after church is going to go, and are rarely wrong? Sounds like an injection of ‘new’ might be in order. A quick conversation with your spouse can open an exciting avenue of exploration. This may provide exactly the spark needed to get things back on the right track.

However, 'different' isn't the same as 'new.' It's about putting a unique twist on an existing idea. My church is doing a 21-day fast at the first of the year. I’m still eating. I’m just eating differently. You’d be surprised how even a little change led to new horizons. It can be as easy as joining a small group or getting involved at church versus just attending. The trajectory of my marriage changed when I made those two choices for different. We have friends that have been in our lives for years just because we joined our first small group. 

Maybe you have been going on walks together for your exercise, and now you are going to join a pickle ball league. Still being physically fit together but now in a community situation. Who knows where it might lead. Both new and different can, and usually will, benefit your marriage or relationship. You shouldn’t be afraid of either. Incorporate and embrace them together, and you can keep things vibrant and growing.