selor who can help you both get back on track . A good first place to start is Focus on the Family . They offer guidance that will lead you in the right direction . Keep in mind after years of neglect , time is a great healer . So be patient . Be graceful and gracious to each other . When the other starts to slip into the bondage of neglect , have a signal in place to gently help the other know what ’ s going on . Most importantly , forgive and forget . In any healthy relationship forgiveness and forgetfulness is a must . Neglect
doesn ’ t start out to be neglect : it starts out as an excuse and then falls into neglect . So , practice forgiveness and forgetfulness . Let it go .
In summary , let me share this : I love to go to plant nursery and buy half dead plants . I take them home and nurture them back to health . Then , I enjoy the beauty that comes from the ashes . A neglected marriage can come from the ashes into a beautiful new life if you are willing to let God work . Begin to pray and ask God how you can begin the mending process in your marriage field and begin to watch it come back to life “… and provide for those who grieve in Zion — to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes , the oil of joy instead of mourning , and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair . They will be called oaks of righteousness , a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor …” Isaiah 61:3 . Be encouraged , there is hope .