It isn’t unusual for people to make time to attend training to increase their job productivity, improve their golf swing or even enhance their cooking or gardening skills, but when was the last time you took time away to work on your marriage relationship?

Imagine getting away for a week with your spouse and a few other couples.  No worries about what time it is or who needs to be at what practice.  No kids yelling, “Mommy” or bosses calling.  No cell phones, computers, or television and no clue about the news of the day.  In fact, you really have no need to know what day it is or what your next meal will be.  The focus of the week is just to enjoy each other’s company and to spend time with your mate.  

For some who feel totally disconnected from their spouse, this could sound like torture or a total impossibility.  Additionally, the thought of leaving behind the Blackberry sends chills up the spine.  For others, this seems like something that would only happen in their dreams.

A group of couples recently took some friends up on the challenge of getting away for a week on a sailboat.  While they may have been apprehensive about how things would go, by day two, people were loving the idea that they had no clue what time it was and it really didn’t matter.  At one point the couples were chatting after dinner.  It was dark and people were yawning so everybody decided it must be very late.  Someone asked about the time and they were told it was 8:30.  Everybody got a good laugh, but the discussion that followed was a thoughtful one about how hard we live life and yet often forget to nurture the things that matter most to us because we are just too busy, stressed, selfish or just plain worn out.

Throughout the week people took naps, read books, chatted about their children and other things that were just silly, soaked in the sun, played in the water, ate together and spent time learning from one another. 

Here are a few lessons learned:

• It is good to get away.  We think we can’t afford to take the time, but in reality we can’t afford not to take the time.
• Play is a good thing.  Laughter and playing hard rejuvenates the soul and relationships.
• Fasting from technology and the news of the day can be a very good thing.  Spending time away from it made people realize how much time can be wasted just sitting in front of the television or answering emails when you could be focusing on your spouse and family. 
• Your kids can survive without you for a few days.  Time away from the kids can be a beautiful thing for everyone!
• You don’t have to spend a ton of money on a fancy vacation to reconnect with your spouse.  Camping, sailing, even staying at home while the kids visit the grandparents will work.   

At the end of the week not a soul was disappointed they had participated in this adventure.  Spouses felt closer to each other and re-energized.  Consider ways you can reconnect with your spouse and be intentional about making it happen.