Show Love…
‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.’ ~ John 15:12 (ESV)
I have a confession to make. I love my guys, but sometimes I don’t show them my love. As I was reading Vicki’s post last week about if my love is growing, I had to swallow really hard. You see, I sometimes roll my eyes (inwardly) about the things they say or do. Or make funny noises — according to my guys, I ‘ack’ a lot.
You see, sometimes I just want to put up my feet. I would like to kick back; not doing laundry, driving our son around or other wifely/motherly duties. So, when I see my guys kicking back — taking it easy, I roll my eyes or ‘ack’ or humph. I know deep down it is not right, but I just can’t help it.
So, why is it easier for me to serve/show my love to others (outside my own four walls), than in my own home? This is one of my goals this year. That I don’t roll my eyes (even if my family doesn’t see it), or make funny noises. I rather see it as an opportunity to show my love. Before picking up a book, I make sure my Sweetheart is taking care off. If our son needs a ride to work on Sunday (because the buses don’t run), I see it as an opportunity to chat with him about his dreams and goals. When the laundry is calling my name, I will do it right away, before it piles up…
And as Scripture reminds me:
“She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.” ~ Provers 31:24-27 (ESV)
Lord of Heaven and Earth. I have to admit that sometimes I like to eat the bread of idleness. I know that I should be taking care of my family — show them the love they deserve. Help me to do it without grumbling. Lord, You are my strength, my rock, my refuge. You will give me the strength I need to take care of my family with a loving heart. I am trusting in Your mercy. In the precious name of Jesus ~ Amen.
Do you have any ‘secrets’ you can share with us how you can show the love you have family?
Blessings on your day and as always…
Oh Iris I needed to read this, becauase I can be the same way. Why are we always worse with the ones we love the most?
I have a hard time seeing all the work I do in our home as love, but it is. That is how I am going to show my love today, is to do all my tasks with love rather than with drudgery.
Boy did I ever need to read this today. I often find myself grumbling over the luandry while my hubby watches TV. I am a stay at home mom and I do love it and I love my family but I often wish for just one day off, I pout about how it isn’t fair for my hubby to get days off but me never. I needed a little spiritual kick to end the pitty party, it is love to care for my family, I was never the homemaker girl growing up but now I love it I enjoy cooking and cleaning. I guess sometimes I just need a little reminder that I really do like it and by caring for my family I am showing them that I love them. Thank you.
Has someone been inside my home too? Thanks, I guess, for writing this post. 🙂 It was something we all needed to hear.
Iris,
Boy I need this. As I was just reading your post, my husband asked me to run to the post office for him. I grumbled at him. He is on his way to the airport to work for a week away from home. YIKES!!! I am heading over to him now and hug him. Thank you. 🙂
I’m a grumbler too and gosh it’s hard not to be one! Great post—gives me a lot to think about.
Great post. My mother is 84 years old and lives with me and boy, do I sometimes grumble. Some days I have patience and some days I just can’t find it anywhere. I also do a lot of eye rolling.
I think we react this way with the ones we love because we are so familiar with them and we are around them so much we start to notice all the little things that annoy us. With our friends we may go out to dinner and enjoy a good conversation and then not see them for a while. What is that saying? “Familiarity breeds contempt.” I was reading a scripture earlier in 1 Corinthians 11:26 and it says at the end of it, “You must never let familiarity breed contempt.” (Message). Contempt may be too strong a word for what we’re talking about here, but the principle is the same. It’s easy to take the familiar people in our lives for granted or to see only the things that “MAKE US CRAZY” sometimes. This post is a great reminder that we need to take extra care to treat them with love and patience. Thanks for the reminder.
Iris, you are so right. It’s something I struggle with, too.
Yesterday: the potroast cooked all day in the crock pot, filling the house with a delicious aroma. I made rice and veggies to go with it. Set the table. Put out the food. Called the family to dinner.
Husband comes down. Heads for the fridge. Takes out nearly empty bottle of kethup. “Is there another bottle?” he asks.
I check the cabinet and tell him, “No, there isn’t.”
He huffs. “Are you serious?”
“Yes. There’s gravy though.”
He huffs again as if a great catastrophe has befallen him. “I can’t eat meat without ketchup.”
Eveyone else is sitting at the table. I’m mad. “Fine, I’ll go get ketchup.”
I drive to the convenience store. They are out of ketchup. I drive to the supermarket. At least it’s on sale. While I drive, I tell God how mad I am. How much of a jerk I think my husband is being. How ungrateful he is. I rant and rave and tell God I’m sorry for whining and I know I should be serving my hubby lovingly. He listens. I think about Jesus washing feet. I suppose I can get ketchup.
This morning, I’m still grumpy, but I talk to God about it some more during my quiet time.
I don’t have any secrets to share. Just that I talk to God about it. The alternative is calling a girlfriend to tell her how miserable I am, and guess what? That never helps!
p.s. my husband is really a pretty good husband.
Iris, thanks for setting this worthy goal before me…to take care of those inside my house as carefully as I do the ones outside! It is so hard to do, isn’t it? I think because I detach the purpose behind the inside tasks from the task itself. The laundry just isn’t a pile of dirty clothes, but rather an opportunity to express my love to my family as I prepare their garments for use in the big world outside of our home. I am the support staff for my missionaries. If I don’t do my job, they can’t do theirs. Oh, Lord, please help me to remember this truth when I am grumbling about the chores of life and dreaming of being the one on the frontlines instead!
Love from under the pile,
Elisa
http://www.laundry-alternative.net
Reading Proverbs is always good… all of Proverbs, not just the end part. It is iron sharpening the stubborn iron of my heart.
“SERVE THE LORD WITH GLADNESS”……MY CHIEF CHALLANGE RIGHT NOW….THANKS IRIS AND OTHERS FOR YOUR IMPUT…REMINDING ME THAT I AM IS WITH US….OH HELP US ALL TO SERVE THOSE YOU HAVE BLESSES US WITH ……GLADNESS….