Marriage Mondays
#MarriageMondays – Mandla and Anabel
Names: Mandla and Anabel Nketane
Married since: 2007
Pet names: Sima and Baby
Kids: 2
Scripture Foundation: Colossians 1:13
How did you meet?
We met at church
Was it love at first site?
No
What attracted you to each other?
His heart. He is a good man who appreciates and loves totally.
Why did you get married?
Because we were ready.
How did he propose?
He sent his people to my parents to ask for my hand in marriage
What has marriage taught you?
That every marriage has a chance to fall apart but those who are still together is because they chose not to take that chance. That love doesn’t put food on the table but it fuels a man to work hard so that he may provide for his family, that the fact that sometimes we don’t see eye to eye doesn’t mean we don’t love each other. That we have to wake up from fantasy and actually live the married life which is not always sunshine and roses.
What do you love most about being married?
I love how I don’t get to do things alone but my husband is hands on. I have a partner whom when I am doing this, he is doing that just to ease the load on my shoulders. The push he gives me to follow and work on my dreams. How he supports my calling. I love the fact that he is a present father, not physically but also emotionally for our children. He has opened a platform for his kids to love being around him and miss him when he’s not there. My kids don’t run away from him when he comes back from work, they actually run to him. These kids probably run away from me, ha ha ha!
What are some of the challenges you’ve faced in your marriage and how did you overcome them?
The gap between our individual development. I had to come to terms with that fact that husbands are not like goods, where if you don’t like a certain thing on what you bought you can exchange it for another. My husband is here for keeps and I had to assist him in developing himself and I am actually liking the progress, one step at the time right!
What do you mostly fight about?
Books. I want him to read more books than me but it’s always a mission to get him to finish the one he is reading now.
What irritates you about each other?
I think the last time I was irritated with him was when I was pregnant with his son.
How do you keep love alive?
Through our communications and the laughs we share. I laugh more with my husband than all other people. By involving God in our marriage.
What do you do for fun together?
What is fun? Lol, our life is full of church, academic studies and my music career at the moment but I think having a day off and being indoors that’s what we call fun.
What do you think is the reason for people to not believe in the institution of marriage?
Media. People have allowed media to shape their opinions and values concerning marriage, forgetting that marriage was instituted by God. Nothing that is made by God and where God is still involved can ever malfunction. People need to come back to the drawing board concerning marriage and that board is God.
What advise do you have for people intending to get married?
Marriage is for the matured. Understand that marriage is made up of two people who think differently. It is only the Word of God that makes us think alike. A healthy married life requires God’s involvement.
