Day 11: Love Cherishes

DARE:What need does your spouse have that you could meet today? Can you run an errand? Give a back rub or foot massage? Is there hosuework you could help with? Chose a gesture that says I CHERISH YOU and do it with a smile.

Since I read this dare earlier today, I had an opportunity to complete this dare, and funny things is, without knowing it, Cory did too! Today, I went to Cory's office and complete a task that he has been asking me to do for a while. I went and helped him decorate. Granted, it still needs lots of love, but it looks much better now! And Cory, well, I forgot to pick up my medicine, and without hesitation he said he would go get it. I told him I didn't want him to, because I missed him!

I can't tell you about the lesson today without basically quoting it from the book. There is no way I could ever get the point across to those reading this, without using the same examples. So, please hang tight.

Two scenarios:
1. A man's old care breaks down. He is told it needs a complete over-haul. Instead of paying for the expensive repairs, he uses his money to get a new one!

2. A man breaks his hand and has to have surgery. He decided to use what money he has to get the doctor to fix it.

I know these sound silly, but think about it. Which is your marriage? Do you want to just forget it and start over? Or do want to hang on to the one you got and fix it right? I'm ashamed to say for years, I wanted to just forget it. It was the easy way out. We didn't have to deal with each other's insecurities that way. We could divorce and move on. Find something better. But as the saying goes, the grass is not greener on the other side. And now I find myself in the second scenario. Hence, the love dare. Which experiencing the first one, I didn't have the bond that God designs us to have with our spouse. It is supposed to be more like the second. You wouldn't cut off your hand to get a new one. You would fix it because it is a part of you. So should your marriage be. Your spouse is who you want. Who you chose. Who God chose. Why cut it off?

Marriage is a beautiful mystery that God created for two to live as one. Not two live as two, like we have done just being roommates over the years, but as ONE. Our relationship should be that when he hurts, I hurt. When he is happy, I am happy...because we are ONE. But somewhere along the way, we feel disappointment, resentment, and realize that our spouse isn't as perfect as we thought.

As imperfect as they may be, here is what the Bible says. "Husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife, loves himself; and no one hates his own flesh." I laugh at this because if you know Cory, you know he has a bit of conceited side. I giggle at the fact that he can love me as much as he loves that body...you know the one! The one where he looks at himself every time he passes a mirror, or the ones he spends 5 minutes in front of flexing his muscles, and watches his boobies, I mean pecks, shake! But the fact is, this is a command for husbands. Not to harp on him now that he might be reading it. God gets us wives later! But Cory loves me as much as he loves his own body! He has stuck by me for three years! What an amazing feet! :)When he shows love to me, and I show love to him, we are actually showing love to ourselves!

But of course, there is the other side. If we mistreat them, we are hurting ourselves. Our lives are interwoven so. That is a marriage. I can't be one with my husband and treat him bad, because in return I am treating myself bad.

So, now when I look at Cory, I'm going to realize that he is a part of me. I love him. God loves him. I should treat him well. Talk highly of him. Nourish and cherish him for the rest of my time that God gives me!