Caught in the Middle—But Still on the Same Team

Part 12A of Two Become One: The Prelude to a Joy-Filled Marriage

Monique sat in the driveway, gripping the steering wheel long after turning off the engine.

The groceries she picked up after work were melting in the trunk, but for five quiet minutes, she let the silence hold her. Inside their home, she could already hear the sounds in her head—the teens arguing about whose turn it was to walk the dog, Darren on a video call with his mother’s doctor, and dinner not yet started.

It wasn’t that Monique didn’t love her family. She did. Deeply. But this season—this sandwich season—was stretching her faith, her patience, and the fragile threads of her marriage.

She had prayed on the way home, as she often did. “Lord, I feel like I’m failing everyone—my kids, my husband, even my aging father. Please, lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” (Psalm 61:2, NIV)

Darren met her at the door, eyes tired. “Mom's meds were delayed again. I had to stay on hold for 45 minutes.”

Before Monique could respond, he gently took the grocery bags from her arms and carried them to the kitchen counter.

Monique kissed his cheek. “I know. I got your text. Let’s finish dinner and talk through options after we eat.”

Their rhythm was off lately. Touches were shorter, words sharper. Their son, Elijah, had snapped at her that morning. Their daughter, Kiara, had rolled her eyes. Monique had bitten her tongue more times in the last week than she could count.

After dinner, Darren disappeared into their bedroom. Monique followed, only to find him sitting at the edge of the bed, staring up at the framed verse that had hung there since their wedding day: "A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." (Ecclesiastes 4:12, ESV)

“Remember when we picked that out?” he asked softly.

Monique nodded, sitting beside him.

“Our counselor reminded me of it today,” he continued. “She said the third strand isn’t just God holding us together—it’s the grace we offer one another when we’re too tired to try.”

Monique exhaled. “I’m really tired, D. And I know you are too. But I still believe in us.”

He reached for her hand. “Then let’s take it one prayer at a time.”

They weren’t out of the woods. Elijah still needed help with school projects. Darren’s mom was waiting on a home health evaluation. Monique had a dozen unread messages from her dad’s doctor. But for that night, they recommitted.

Not to fix it all, but to face it together.

Later, Monique scribbled a few verses into her planner, just as their marriage coach had suggested:

• “When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” —Psalm 61:2 (NIV)
• “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you.” —Psalm 55:22 (AMP)
• “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” —Ecclesiastes 4:12 (ESV)
• “Be still, and know that I am God.” —Psalm 46:10 (NIV)

She read them aloud while Darren loaded the dishwasher. Then she taped them to the fridge.

They made a new commitment that night—not just to one another, but to daily bring their hearts to God. Not just in the moments of exhaustion or frustration, but in the small joys too.

Because God, their loving Father, wasn’t waiting to be called upon in crisis only. He longed to walk with them daily, to hear their fears, celebrate their wins, and hold them close in the in-between.

He wasn’t distant. He was near.

And as they began praying together, even briefly, and opening up honestly to each other, something tender returned. Not resolution—but connection.

Your Turn:

If you’re in a similar season—feeling stretched thin by parenting, caregiving, or just the pressure of holding everything together, know this: you are not alone.

God is still present. Marriage is still sacred. And grace is still available.

Write down these scriptures. Say them out loud. Put them where you can see them. When the days feel long and your patience feels short, let God’s Word remind you: you are not carrying it all alone.

• Psalm 61:2 (NIV) — “When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”
• Psalm 55:22 (AMP) — “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you.”
• Ecclesiastes 4:12 (ESV) — “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
• Psalm 46:10 (NIV) — “Be still, and know that I am God.”

If you find yourself needing encouragement, guidance, or a reminder that you're not walking this path alone, I invite you to explore the Affirmations and faith-based resources on my YouTube channel: Joy for a Lifetime.

And if your marriage could use a reset, a reminder, or a celebration of how far you've come, a vow renewal may be just the fresh start your hearts need. I'm here to help you make that moment meaningful.

Darren and Monique haven’t resolved everything yet. But they’re holding hands again, praying again, choosing each other again.

Their story continues in Part 12B.

And so does the hope of Joy for a Lifetime.