Speaking My Language
Happy Valentine’s Day! I have to admit, Jeff and I aren’t huge Valentine people. We love eachother, of course, but I guess i”m just not into the red-heart-ballooon thing and the fact that good red roses cost $50/dozen. But at our church a friend of mine, along with some other women, do a workshop each year on how to bless your husband for Valentine’s Day. My friend’s mom was the one who started it, as she would do amazing and ridiculous things for her husband during the two weeks before Valentine’s Day. FOr example, she would make huge posters saying, “Trish loves Mark!” and staple them to telephone poles along his route to work. She’d send him packages at work, secretly drop off cookies for him and all his co-workers, or have random people like the UPS guy deliver love notes. Basically, after probably close to 30 years of marriage she still found it hilarious to bombard him with reminders of her love…and perhaps have a little fun embarrassing him in front of his co-workers at the same time.
But the point of the workshop was all about finding ways to bless your husband. Not just a cheesy card or a box of chocolates, and not just expecting your husband to do something for YOU, but choosing to take the first step and do something unexpectedly for him. Something that’s tailor made for him. I must say it was encouraging and challenging.
I wish I could say that I DID all of those things. But, I confess, I really thought I’d be giving Jeff a daughter for Valentine’s Day and so we kind of just got wrapped up in prepping for the baby. The day came, and…well, I gave him some Mike’s Hard Lime and a box of Cheese-its. (Hey, give me a break! Those ARE a treat for him.)
But my husband spoke my language today. Most everyone is familiar with the Five Love Language book. Well, I am an Acts of Service girl hands down. Jeff knows the way to my heart is to save our money and spend a few hours scrubbing the floor instead. Really though, what ministers to me more than anything is when Jeff is willing to lay aside his schedule, priorities, and needs to make my requests a priority. So you want to know how he wooed me today? Scrubbed the shower (the worst job!) top to bottom, swept and mopped all the floors, vacuumed the carpet, gave Dutch a bath, unloaded the dishwasher, cleaned out my car, and swept the garage. Yeah! Happy Valentine’s to me! I think I told him a dozen times today that this was the best Valentine’s Day ever.
So thank you, Hon, for speaking my language today. Thank you for blessing me with your time and your hard work. Happy Valentine’s Day.