I recall when a little over 20 years ago my boys and I went camping at the Grand Canyon. We had an incredible time and even hiked about half way down into the canyon one day. Now if you have never been there, I should warn you that it is approximately 5000 feet from the rim to the bottom. Having an extremely healthy fear of heights, you don’t have to tell me to stay back from the edge. My sons will attest to the fact that I know how to do that.
However, with regularity, people fall to their deaths in the Grand Canyon if for no other reason than they don’t think the signs apply to them. Take for example the 18 year old woman who was hiking on the north rim with friends in 2012, when she thought it would be cute to have her picture taken next to a sign near the edge that stated, “Stay Away.” As she scrambled up to the sign, rocks broke loose and she fell 1500 feet to her death. She apparently thought the sign was for everyone else.
It is all too common that I experience couples in my office on the precipice of divorce because they have become involved in an inappropriate relationship. They knew better than to go near the marital edge, but it was only “harmless flirting,” until the rocks gave way. They knew it was dangerous to test the boundaries of their marriage, but for some reason, they thought those warnings were for everyone else.
This week, take a look at your relationship and examine what danger signs you may be ignoring. I probably never need to worry about falling off of a mountain cliff because I stay as far from the edge as possible. The consequences can be fatal. Similarly in your marriage, for its ultimate protection, what steps can you take to get further from the edge and in turn closer to your spouse. Your partnership may depend on it.