Love Work

I've written in the past about Barry's granddaddy and grandmama Carroll. Those two were joined at the hip early in life. In fact, Granddaddy told us that he failed a grade on purpose in high school so that he could be in Grandmama's class! Sigh...now that's love. (I'd string up my boys if they did that!)

Their 64 year marriage set quite a standard for our family, and we are the recipients of that blessing. Both sets of our parents have stayed married, too. Barry and I joke that we'd be too afraid to announce a divorce, so we'll just have to work it out.

We're in the midst of raising teenagers, and some days are just ships passing in the night. The boys stay up as late as we do, so there are no more long evenings with just Barry and me. I love the four of us being together, but sometimes I long for just two. Every stage of parenting has its challenges, but raising teens seems to making connecting in our marriage real work.

Love is work. Whether you're a friend, a wife or a mom (or all three), you know that love--real connectedness--is work. Scripture describes God as long-suffering, patient, kind, compassionate. Those are love words that describe intention and character.

On Monday I posted about Wendy Blight's interviews. I listened to the first two as I got ready for work yesterday. Tears poured down my face as I listened to the story of my friend's sexual assault in the first session. The second show became one of the most beautiful statements of sacrificial love that I've heard. Please don't miss listening to that session. Wendy's husband made a statement in his proposal that every couple should beginning their marriage with.

Valentine's day is coming. The card and balloons are out. The shelves are stacked with cute stuffed animals, and there's candy out the wazoo. I have a different suggestion for Valentine's Day if you're married. Melanie Chitwood has just released the companion book to What A Husband Needs from His Wife. It's appropriately titled What A Wife Needs from Her Husband. Yahoo! I'm sure Melanie knows that's the one we've all been waiting for! :)

I was thinking about how our husbands might feel if we all run out and buy the second book for Valentines. Even if we wrap it up real pretty and smile our sweetest smile as we open it, he might take it the wrong way, huh? But what if we bought both books, wrapped then up in beautiful paper and smiled our brightest smiles as he opened both? Love work. What a Valentine's present! If we're both working to out love, out serve and out work the other, what a gift that would be!

I hope you all have a LOVE-ly day!!