I’ve been procrastinating on exactly where to start with my “next blog post.” I’m sure you understand. When it’s been awhile since you did something, you tend to make it a bigger deal than it ever really is (or was). Since it’s been awhile since I updated the blog, part of me was thinking I needed to post something of similar import as The Westminster Confession, but, since I’m fairly certain I am not capable of writing anything with that level of import…I decided to start with one of the emails that, for some reason, just kept “calling” to me…
I think it caught my attention, partially, because the emails that ALWAYS stand out the most for me are those that contain “potential irony;” if I feel as if, by responding to the request for advice, I may be skirting the line of “do as I say, not as I do,” I am almost magnetically drawn to them.
And, this one, did exactly that…
Dear Robert and Susan,
Your letter is sincere and honest. Bravo to you and Susan and your ministry! I have never bought anything from your ministry, but I will take you up on your kind offer.
I am recently married for the 3rd and final time. My new wife has commented that she (age 46) seems to have a much higher sex drive than me (age 50). It is true.
I do love sex when we have it but my desire to “jump her bones” has certainly dwindled it seems.
She has gained over 50 pounds since we got married 7 months ago. I am a very visual person if you know what I mean. I have recently found myself not even being able to keep an erection at times.
Any hints?
Do I have lots of potential “Christian Sex Guy” advice/bon mots on the tip of my tongue…ready to roll off…with no effort and/or thought…for this man?
Yep. Tons.
I’ll give you a quick synopis of what comes to mind (all “true,” but not always “accurate”)…
1) It is completely normal for a middle aged woman to have a much higher sex drive than her 50 year old husband. Statistically, it would be strange if it were not so.
2) There is a vast difference between the type of sexual “desire” that only happens in the movies (or romance novels, I’m told) and the real world in which sexual activity between married partners happens WITHOUT any huge desire to jump anyone’s bones.
3) If you’re a middle-aged couple and you haven’t both become a little heavier and “worse for the wear” by now, you are probably sociopathic regarding your fitness/appearance (*Note: Do NOT take the time to respond to this last comment. It is not meant as a scientific statement; it’s just me being mean to the skinny people).
4) EVERYONE is a very visual person (apologies to our visitors reading this post through a Visually Impaired RSS feed).
5) Once you get to the ripe old age of 18, “not being able to keep an erection at times” is NOT an explanation of a problem; it is a description of the obvious akin to “the sun rises and sets most days.”
As I said, earlier, the MAIN reason this email was “calling” to me, now, is because all (or most) of the issues above are things that I have had to deal with lately.
(Pausing for the sound of browsers snapping shut across the world…)
“Wait. Did ‘The Christian Sex Expert’ just say he, sometimes, struggles with sex occasionally?”
Yep.
Here’s the deal…
I desperately want to be able to tell God that I helped as many people, as possible, to improve their marriages and sex lives. It’s not the job/mission that I envisioned when I was sitting through those fifteen per week (4 hour long) church services that my parents felt were necessary for my proper upbringing. But, it does seem to be what God would have us do (so, stop your sniggling).
And, for me to be truly effective, sometimes I have to shake you and remind you that, most likely, you’re really not that different/worse off than your brothers and sisters…including ME!
Probably, with a different (slightly better/more positive) view of things, it’s possible that you are very close (maybe inches away) from making things in your marriage and sex life dramatically better.
You don’t have to become Benjamin Button and go back in time…you don’t have to lose 100 pounds…you don’t have to replace your spouse with someone else. Most likely, you just have to believe it’s possible, and that God intends better things for you…and, even for your fat, middle-aged butt, you can experience a true glimpse of the possibilities of passionate relationships and sex.
If you read our emails (and should I really HAVE to say “if”?), you know that this year, so far, has been one of our most difficult. We struggled in the ministry, in our business and, in no small way…personally.
Do you really think it’s possible that we maintained exactly the same level of sexual passion through this period? Or the same frequency? Or variety (geesh…writing it is depressing ME)?
No. We didn’t.
It’s just not possible for anyone to put their sex lives in a vacuum (I tried this once when I was a teen..but that’s another story); the reason that sex is so important…and mystical…is exactly because it rises above most of the other mundane things we must deal with as Christians and real people. It is one of the few things we will experience in this life that can give us a true glimpse of the “something more” that awaits us.
But, it is not separate and apart from the rest of our lives. It is, by definition, a result of who we are as individuals…and as a couple..and everything else that is going on in our lives.
So, for a second, STOP. Take a breath. And consider that, possibly, your big list of “problems” and/or “reasons” that your marriage relationship and sex life is not what you would like it to be…is probably not really very impressive/scary to most of the rest of us.
Even more, one of the beautiful things about our marriages and sex lives is that taking the time to “go from here to there” (from where we are to where we’d like to be), despite your circumstances, has the effect of strengthening you relationship and, ultimately, improving your sex life.
But, here’s where it (kinda) comes back to the above email…
The biggest, most consistent thing we find ourselves communicating with other couples is that “most sex problems have nothing to do with sex.”
During this difficult period, although the frequency and spontaneity of our sex may have diminished slightly, the thing that makes it great during the “easier” times never waned; “us.” We are more concerned about “us” than we are either one of us, separately. We want to please the other as much/more than we are concerned with pleasing ourselves.
This is not “bragging” (for those emailers with your “like I care you have a super relationship” emails). This is a “road map” for you…”from here to there.”
Why do I think that the “Christian” part of “Christian Sex Expert” isn’t unecessary?
Because the same approach/road map that you will find in Scripture, relative to how to deal with STRANGERS is exactly the same approach you need to consider in fixing your marriage and sex life. If Jesus expects us to “go the extra mile” for strangers, isn’t it logical to assume that, with your spouse, he expects even more?
And, with all due respect to the writer of the above email…
If your focus in your marriage and sex life is primarily on YOU…your needs…your desires…your likes/dislikes (as opposed to your spouse’s), and you are hoping for dramatic changes to magically drop from the sky…instead of praying and working for them to happen…then, frankly, I wouldn’t expect much. This pains me to say because, after all, I pay the light bill selling sex advice books. But, its just true.
Great sex (or a great marriage) is simply not possible (at least in a Christian marriage) when we don’t follow Jesus’ advice to treat our spouse as we would have them treat us.
So, my first advice to this man (and to whoever is still reading this incredibly long post) would be to consider that figuring out how to please his wife might be (really…between you and me IS) the secret to solving MOST of his “perceived” problems.
If he were to start by asking, “how can I better please my wife, sexually?” Or, even better, asked her…I’d bet “dollars to donuts” that she would have some pretty creative ideas.
These ideas might be “creative enough” to overcome some of his apparent boredom/lack of wanting to “jump her bones.”
Her appreciation that he is giving her sexual attention (despite her current weight) will probably mean that she is less concerned with his occasional lack of ability to maintain an erection…most likely…she’d be willing to come up with some “extra effort” stuff that would fix that problem, no?
Will this magically give his wife “six pack abs?” I don’t think so.
Will this create some sort of supernatural attraction to her that makes him glow with desire everytime she comes into sight? Nah.
But…might it lead to some “real people,” fun sex? Maybe even the type of passionate, “in the moment” type of engagement that he forgets his erections aren’t quite what they used to be?
More importantly, experiencing REAL sexual connection with your spouse (in all it’s flabby, middle-aged, semi-erect glory) is actually better than anything you assume Brad and Angelina are doing…and…better than what you thought you were looking for.
To recap for those with the endurance to last this long…
1) You can improve your marriage and sex life, despite your list of “problems.”
2)If you’re marriage and sex life isn’t perfect, no one’s is…really…no one’s.
3)Most sex problems can be solved by trying to please your spouse first.
4)If its been months since your last blog post, and you are kind of in a cranky mood, maybe its not so good to chug two cups of coffee and then just start typing.
Have a great weekend.
Forgive my rusty blogging skills.
Facebook and YouTube and Twitter are on the way…really.
I did my part (1725 words so far)…do yours; comment or submit emails. We are going to attempt to make this blog much more interactive and helpful than in the past. If you don’t give me something more specific to work with…I’ll do another blog post this long. No one wants that, really, do they?
P.S. If you are “thinking of your spouse by trying to lose weight, our readers have reported real success with this.
P.S.S. If you are a woman and your husband likes “BBWS,” you might like this.