We continue our series on how marriage is like football with another “glamour” position. The job of a Wide Receiver is to run a predetermined route (which he and the quarterback have practiced many times) and be ready to catch the pass.
Having said that, “being found” is a key element in any relationship. We need to stay visible to our partners. We need to make it easy for our partners to know where we are, not simply
geographically but emotionally and spiritually. If we withdraw and hide, or if we zig when we had agreed to zag, it creates an untenable situation for the person trying to connect with us. Make a commitment to “stay found,” to make yourself open and accessible to your partner.
Now, of course, there are times when the pass is poorly thrown, usually when your partner is under pressure. In those circumstances, the Wide Receiver must adjust his route to move to where the pass is actually going. Sometimes this requires quick thinking, making adjustments on the fly, and even contorting oneself into uncomfortable postures to receive the pass. All attempts to connect, even the most well-intentioned, are not perfectly thrown. Nor will all your partner’s attempts to connect. A good Wide Receiver will adjust to meet the pass on its own terms and not just throw up his hands and blame the passer for having not thrown a perfect pass.
Another must for a Wide Receiver is to move toward ball. Don’t always wait for the ball to come to you. Move toward the ball to reduce the chances of something bad happening (and interception or a short pass hitting the ground, for example). Sometimes we are called upon to break the predetermined route and move back toward our partner in an attempt not only to “be found” but to make her job easier in trying to connect.
How has your partner tried to connect with you recently? Have you been running a predictable route or are you freelancing and doing your own thing, expecting her to adjust? How can you move toward her and adjust your own thinking to make it easier for her to connect?
Of course, marriage is not played out in a vacuum. While all this is going on between the Quarterback and the Wide Receiver, other forces are at work that can disrupt this potentially beautiful connection. Next time, Defensive Backs . . .