Feb02
Day 2: Serve One Another
“…through love serve one another.” Gal. 5:13b
How did you do yesterday with your first day of blessing and encouraging your husband? Was it easy? Was it hard to hold your tongue when you wanted to say something negative? We hope you’re off to a good start. (If you blew it, don’t give up - start again today!) There are so many practical things you can praise, if you look for them.
Today, find some way that your husband is serving you or your family. Does he help around the house? Take care of the car? Fix things that are broken? If your budget allows, give him a new, small tool with a big bow attached. But make sure he doesn’t think it’s part of a “Honey Do” list!
Maybe your husband’s not a handyman, but does he run errands for you? Let you go first? Take care of you when you are sick? Help you make decisions? Praise him for his willingness to serve others. Let him know that you see his unique service as a great strength.
As I described yesterday, I won’t say it was hard telling David that I loved him and appreciated him, but it did seem hard for him to accept the sentiment, without thinking that I wanted something. So, I told him again today, reminded him, just how much I really did love him. It had to be done over the phone. He left before I got up (6:30 am!), and didn’t get home until late evening, which is pretty typical for a Saturday. I didn’t venture out much, so I didn’t get him a small gift, but that might be something I’ll do later on in the day. I did order a personal pan pizza for him Friday (with no onions, just like he likes it), without calling to see what he wanted to do for lunch. I just knew what he liked, and thought it would be a nice surprise for him.
Does he help around the house? not much. Fix things when they are broken? sometimes, depending on what it is. He does run errands for me when I ask him to, and no he doesn’t take care of me when I’m sick, but that’s a “me” thing. I want to be left completely alone when I’m sick. After 24 years … he has learned to just back off, keep his distance, check on me, go get what I need, but not to hover and mother hen me when I’m sick.
He is a good sounding board for me when I’m upset. Sometimes he wants to get in there and “fix” things for me, when I don’t want him to — that I just wanted to vent. But again, thats another thing he’s learned along the way. He is usually pretty patient with me these days. He has many strengths — some of which I used to think were a weakness in him. But, as we have grown closer over the years, I realize those things are actually a strength, and make him uniquely who he is, and I wouldn’t trade him for anything!