How About A Set Of Satin Sheets?

How about a Set of Satin Sheets?

The LORD God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man. “At last!” the man exclaimed. “This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’” This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.

Genesis 2:22-24

Shiny. Smooth. Lustrous. Even the words describing them sound sensual. Satin sheets evoke the epitome of a bed that is ready for lovemaking. To slide between these silky sheets and cozy up to your husband or wife is bound to get most couples in the mood. Truth be told, however, you may sleep on cotton jersey, flannel, or crisp linen; the kind of sheets on your bed says little about your love life. Far more telling is the status of your relationship outside the bedroom.

Of course, that’s not the cultural message this month. Do you feel the pressure? Just five more days until couples everywhere are celebrating Valentine’s Day. So let’s take a moment to look at the sensual pleasures (and sometimes pressures) this season conjures up for married couples.

What do we know helps a husband and wife have success in the bedroom? Although biology, especially the neurochemistry that determines each person’s hormonal levels, is a significant factor in sexual motivation, it has long been established that couples who are simply intentional about their sex lives enjoy more fulfillment between the sheets—satin or otherwise. What does this mean? First, these couples aren’t afraid to schedule times of physical intimacy. This may sound like it takes all the spontaneity out of it, but you won’t hear these couples complaining. Second, these couples talk to each other about what they like and don’t like when it comes to sex, and they respect each other’s desires.

The point is that if you want your sex life to be tuned up for Valentine’s Day, you don’t have to purchase an expensive set of sheets. As a married couple you have the opportunity to enjoy something especially wonderful, since married people have better sex lives than single people. Get this: married people are about twice as likely as unmarried people to make love at least two or three times a week. And that’s not all: married sex is more fun. Forty-eight percent of husbands say sex with their wives is extremely satisfying, compared to just 37 percent of men cohabitating with their unmarried partners.

So take a moment to inventory your sex life this week and, if need be, get intentional about how to make it better.

The sexual part of us is simple, yet complex. It is predictable, yet changeable, diverse, unknowable, mysterious, and forever beyond our full understanding. If this sounds confusing and contradictory—it is.

—Clifford and Joyce Penner