This last year I have done over 120,000 miles of air travel. I still have a couple more months so the 150,000 mile is still a real possibility with a trip to London coming up for the Worship Central Conference. As some of you are reading this there are typically two thoughts based on your context.

1. The single person thinks – Thats amazing! I wish I could travel like that!
2. The married person thinks – God bless his wife. If my spouse traveled like that there would be some serious problems!

For the single person, it is pretty awesome, at least for the first 20,000 miles. Then the repetition of airport, rental car, hotel, conference venue and repeat gets real old, real fast. However, if you want to experience it yourself, Faithlife is hiring!

For the married person, you’re right. My wife is amazing. She shows an incredible amount of grace and understanding. Beyond that however, is an intentionality to stay connected spiritually and emotionally while I am away. Here are four ways we go about this. If you travel as much as I do or are in a situation where travel may be a reality, I hope this helps you.

Bring visibility to your travel schedule:

Brittany and I have a shared calendar. She knows every trip that is on my calendar. She is able to help me stay accountable in the amount of time I am away. She also is able to see that I may have a long travel stretch in front of me, but there is a good week or two week slot that I have blocked off for family. Maybe even more important, make sure that your blocked of time for your family is actually for your family. No more of the “Babe, just one more email”. Your wife and kids experience half hearted commitments that fall through everyday. Don’t let your commitment to spend time with them be one of those experiences. The shared calendar also helps my wife  to set her expectations while keeping me accountable to my schedule. This also allows for open communication about travel and the impact it is having on her and the boys.

Stay connected to the Word :

We do our best to do shared Bible reading plans together when I am gone. We both have the Faithlife Study Bible App and Logos Bible Software, so we will typical pick a specific reading plan and read through that sharing thoughts via community notes. This engages our minds with the beauty of scripture. As we focus on and delve into the depth of the Word, we are connected in the most meaningful way possible.

Leverage technology to increase your ability to communicate:

Traveling is crazy. Over the last month there have been a ridiculous amounts of cancellations and delays. This makes it hard to jump on the phone to talk to my wife as I am running to the opposite side of the airport to catch a connecting flight. However, I can text her and let her know what is happening. I love the new iOS update that has built in voice memos. Britt and I use this all the time to stay connected on the little things. This way she knows what my day looks like and I can stay connected with whats happening on the home front. Things like FaceTime and Skype are game changers. We try to always FaceTime at night with the kids before they go to bed if possible.

Extend grace:

The most important thing is be gracious to each other. The reality is that I have screwed up more times than I can count. I forget to text or FaceTime. I get preoccupied with my travel woes or the stress of a conference and neglect my reading plans or speaking to my wife. This is where grace plays a crucial role.

In truth, these are things that are helpful if you have a crazy travel schedule or not. Finally, there is an extra level of responsibility for husbands to lead their families well. I love Ephesians 5:25-29 because we see clearly that the responsibility and great privilege of the husband is in cleansing his wife with the washing of the Word. Marriage is an incredible gift of God.

What are some things that you do to ensure a healthy marriage? Let me know in the comments section below!

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