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We are down to the final two days of our NFP awareness week blogging special. I’m writing this because I care, and if your reading this by now it’s because you’re intregued. The last couple of days is going to go like this: today I’m going to write about my experience with NFP, and tomorrow I’m going to explain the risks of birth control (no, I will not say the pill and breast cancer statistic).
For a man, NFP is very challenging. It is very hard for me to sleep next to my wife, be in the mood, and not be able to touch her. In fact, there have been a couple of times wishing that my wife were on the pill. When I think this way, two things hit me. 1) This is extremely selfish! I want my wife on the pill so that I can have instant gratification. This is a selfish desire, and I am learning to conquer this desire. 2) When you listen to the terminology between birth control and NFP, you here this subtle yet major difference in lingo; a) My wife is on the pill. There is no couple interaction or choice really involved in this. The woman goes to the store herself, takes it herself, and is essentially making her a slave to her husband. b) My wife AND I are practicing NFP. NFP takes both the husband and wife to make it effective. This is where my wife and I can practice NFP better. The fertile period is a really good time for us to strengthen our marriage. If I’m in the mood, and we’re in the “no touch zone,” then we should stay up and talk for a little bit, watch a movie together, etc. The no touch days are there to allow us to reconnect on a non-physical level, and after 10-14 days we can reconnect on a physical level, and it’s like our wedding night all over again. Also, the no touch days allow me to express my love in other ways; take out the garbage more often, watch the kids so she can go out, be there for her emotionally. As a husband, this is what I need to do during the fertile period, and this is where I often fail. But, I will learn, I will learn to use the fertile days as a time to strengthen our marriage, not pitty myself.
The Catholic Church is often cited for being too strict, too 20th or 19th century, etc. But it should be her wisdom that should be cited, that should get all the attention. It is in the Church’s wisdom that teaches NFP and is against birth control; because of this teaching there are many happy couples sharing their joy and love with each other.