Cherish

If you don’t want to run the risk of having your toes stepped on, don’t buy this book! Building on the marriage vow language “to love and to cherish,” Thomas argues that too many couples—while they love each other—do not cherish each other. Thomas defines cherishing as “to go out of our way to notice someone, appreciate someone, honor someone, and hold someone dear.” (25). Couples who have been married for more than a few years may recognize the tendency to fall into a rut of commitment to our spouse without continued growth in learning to know and delight in them. This book will call couples to reflect on their marriage and look for ways to delight in their spouse and help their spouse grow into the person that Jesus created them to be. Thomas explores various aspects of what it looks like to cherish and offers examples of tangible ways in which we can cherish our spouse. He also offers ideas for how a person who feels stuck in a lack of cherishing their spouse can begin to learn to cherish their spouse. He concludes with a chapter that anchors the entire discussion in the foundation of the grace that Jesus offers to each of us. For married couples whose lives have been filled with parenting and the pressures of work or ministry, this book offers a vision of what could be and calls them to an investment in deeply cherishing their spouse.