“Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way” Colossians 3:15-17 (The Message).
As I watched my husband drive off to work this morning, earlier than usual, I realized how much I have taken for granted the sacrifices he makes for our family on a daily basis. He willingly gets up every morning, braves the weather (blizzards, torrential downpours, or fog at times), just to provide for our family. He unselfishly has allowed me the privilege to work from home for the past ten years so I can fulfill the desire God placed in my heart to raise our children. Additionally, he has encouraged my dream of writing. He also has dreams and passions waiting to be fulfilled, but he put his on hold to allow me the chance to “go first.”
When I thank him for his hard work and effort, his response is humble. However, I realized this particular morning how grateful I am for the man God allowed me to marry and how I want to make sure not to take his sacrifices and his love for granted. I want to make sure I’m doing my part.
I have to admit – I’ve slacked off more than I should. Even though I’m on top of clean clothes and stocking our pantry, our house could be cleaner. I’ve been talking about how I need to finish organizing, which I started a year ago. My defense that “it’s just going to get dirty again” wouldn’t hold up in Court. I started to feel convicted. Just as my husband makes sacrifices on a daily basis, it’s my responsibility to make sacrifices as well.
God calls me to a higher standard than just mediocre. God doesn’t expect perfection from me, and thankfully neither does my husband, but both expect me to do my part
I pray that God will continue to show me areas in my life I can improve to show the man I love how much his sacrifice means to me and our family.
© 2013 Cheri Swalwell
Wow!!! this message really touched me seeing that I am such a family oriented person. It is true that we must always remember the sacrifices that our partners make for us to live our dreams and also encourage them to live theirs when the time comes. This is a reminder to me that I should thank my husband more often for getting out of the house daily to provide for his family. What a blessing!!!
Thank you, Yomi, for responding. Welcome! You sound like someone who truly loves her family. It was so great connecting with you. Blessings to you and your family today. Looking forward to connecting again.
In Him,
Cheri 🙂