well I can say it is different for each relationship, I have been married three times. one which lasted three weeks; and the other five years of a eight year relayionship. and what I learned is that without God being the head, the middle and the end and all around coming from both persons; your marriage it is almost over before it start. I have been married now to my husband for four months, but God made me ready long before.. He taught me that I will need alot of understanding and forgivness. because that person is not me and I am not him. and we must learn to understand who they are. I would not allow myself to only see the good, and then five years later I get to complain about the bad,, and they will be able to say...I was like this when you met me.
You may be good for a person, but are they good for you? we will hear from them you are so this and that and I never met anyone like you.. I would love to have someone like you in my life, and we unconciously think, if we are good for this person ,therefore; they must be good for me... and that is furthist from the truth. you may be good for them but are they good for you? God have shown me this was one of my biggest mistakes. who don't like to hear how good they are. and anyone with a big heart as I have- we skip the examining of that person, thinking they must be good saying such good things, but in reality you never said the same to them, therefore; without noticing you take them on just that and they do the same to you... now you realize you are doing all the good and they are doing all the hurt. if you don't ask you won't receive, if you think that you can chage someone, you're crazy! only God can do that, wheather it be you or the other, it won't happen! sowhat I did with my husband now. is I let him know evryting bad and good about me... I have a no nonsence attitude, I don't cook everyday and I will not clean the house by myself, ain't going to have sex every day; but I will not turn him away, unless I am dieing, lol.. if he ever think to hit me I will cut him. I don't argue.. and I will not stand for holding grudges... I love the Lord and there will not be a man, friend, or any such a person in my life who don't love God more then me and more then themselves.. no lieing, never phony..no female friends, wont have it! I will not say that I wil be the only one to do something, when I know I can;t keep them long term. in other words I wont sell you false dreams and I will not buy them. so if we be up-front holding nothing back no matter how bad it may seem, because if you think it will make that person not want you then, trust me you wont be able to hide them when you live together. so be honest and allow that person the opportunity to choose if they can handle someone like you. as I have learned that I was good for them but they were no good for me. I thought that being so good that it will show them how to be good to me,,,, but that was not what they want nor did they say that was what they wanted; to treat me good. but the other way around.
So be watchful,, listen clearly with an open mind and heart,, if they do or ssay or not say or do something that you know you can't live with for the rest of your life then tell them they are not for you, no matter how much they think you are for them. it will; "trust me " save you a lot of wasted time.