Week 6: Cherishing Your Spouse

With the title of this week, “Cherishing Your Spouse,” I reflected on when I have felt cherished by my spouse.  I wanted to share some grand expression, but my memory kept returning to how loved I felt last Tuesday.  When Benjamin, 15, added his musical practice time to the calendar for October 11th, he said, “Woah!  That’s going to be a busy day!”  He was complicating my day already filled with a doctor’s appointment, an online class, a school open house for my first grader, tickets that needed to be purchased at the high school, and two daughters that both needed rides to and from work in opposite directions.

The night before my nutso day, I was explaining to my husband that the dentist’s office had called to remind me that we also had three kids scheduled for cleanings as well.  Fortunately, it just happened to be at a time where I could make it work, but that I would have limited time to get any of my schoolwork done; luckily, I was working ahead in my classes.  My sweet, sweet husband, even though I told him I had it handled, told me he would come home early that day, in time to do the bulk of the chauffeuring so I would have an opportunity to get my class assignments done.  This meant the world to me.  He was home by four, running kids around and feeding the rest of them dinner, prepping lunches and helping with homework.  It might seem like a small thing, coming home two hours early to play mom for me, but I felt cherished.  

“... I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.”  (Alma 37:6)

It’s really these little things that sweep me off my feet again and again.  These small, regular deposits into our marital piggy bank has caused it to flow over.  

Yet the full experience of marriage will demand regular payments across time.  What seemed so easy at first will later feel impossible.  We may feel cheated when we discover that this bargain requires so much of us.  Character and companionship do not come without consistent investment.  Yet, if we continue to make payments on our relationship, we will be amazed what we get for our “sacrifices.”  (Goddard, 2009, ch. 2)

I hope we will one day have the eternal love exemplified by this couple:

My favorite part is watching him feed her breakfast.  Clearly he is struggling with poor health, but she is his priority.  I am also reminded that I need to accept my spouse’s offering, even if it’s not perfect, or the way I would do it.  I can honestly say that I don’t care how he folds the towels.

References

Goddard, H. W. (2009). Drawing heaven into your marriage: Powerful principles with eternal results [Kindle version]. Retrieved from Amazon.com