"...love suffers long, and is kind..." 1 Cor. 13:4 "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:19
Love indeed suffers long and is kind. As you consider your Encouragement Challenge, determine today that you will not say anything negative to or about your husband. Speak kindly to him with words of genuine encouragement. If your husband is considerate of your needs, let him know that you have noticed. Thank him for his kindness and consideration. Thank the Lord that your husband knows how to be both tough and tender. Sometimes it's difficult for a man to be gentle, kind or tender - especially if he hasn't had role models in these areas.
If he's not a considerate person, appeal to him for help without complaining. Let him know that it's hard for you to handle some things alone. Then, when he moves in to help, don't insist that he do it your way. Be glad that he is responding, and express your gratitude.
Ultimately, you can't expect your husband to make you feel more secure, loved, etc. Remember that only God can meet the deepest needs of your heart.
I am extremely blessed to have a very kind and considerate hubby. As I mentioned yesterday, he does lots of 'little things' for me all the time. One of the things that I think so beautifully demonstrates his attitude of consideration is in going out to eat...I am a vegetarian and he most definitely is not...but whenever we go out to eat he is always concerned with making sure that they have options for me. Here in the south, many restaurants do not cater to veggies like me...but I can almost always find SOMETHING even if it's special ordered or just a salad (and I love salads by the way, so I don't consider myself 'deprived' if that is the only menu option I see) but my husband is very careful to make sure that they offer at least 2 things so that I have a choice on the menu and not just that there is something I can eat.
Also when we travel he always has my wants, likes and needs in mind. Not only will he regularly research menus on the Internet in the area to see what places offer the most choices for me and make reservations at those places ahead of time...but he'll also often look into things that might interest me, more than once he has booked me for a day at the hotel spa...especially if he has plans for that day himself that he thinks I'll find boring (or if he has no plans for that day and is just going to be hanging out in the room...which he knows makes me a little stir crazy after 3 or 4 hours) . Am I a lucky girl or what???
Ok, so to my 'action' in today's challenge...of course like all days, I prayed for him this morning and I thanked God for giving me such a loving hubby...but then I decided that perhaps a good way to thank him for considering me was to repay that kindness and consideration. I rushed through getting ready (yep, it's a ponytail kind of day!) for work so that I'd have a little extra time. I used that extra time to go to the nearby bakery and pick him up a Cinnamon Roll and a Cappuchino then I went back by the apartment and left them in his car with a greeting card in which I'd written a little 'thank you' to him for always being so considerate of me...that way as he rushed out to work he had a little surprise that reminded him that someone loved him and was thinking about him this morning...and who could use that on a Monday morning??
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