Day 11: Love cherishes

Daily Reading

It starts with a comparison, 2 situations. A man with an older car that has broken down and will cost a lot of money to repair. In stead of repairing it, he uses the money to buy a new car. Another man who has his man severely injured and goes through whatever it takes to have the hand repaired and nurses it back to full usage.

Both scenarios seem reasonable and likely.

"The problem within our culture is that marriage is more often treated like the first scenario. When your relationship experiences difficulty, you are urged to dump your spouse for a "newer model." But those who have this view do not understand the significant bond between a husband and wife. The truth is, marriage is more like the second scenario. You are a part of one another. You would never cut off your hand if it was injured but would pay whatever you could afford for the best medical treatment possible. That's because your hand is priceless to you. It is part of who you are."

"When you mistreat your mate, you are also mistreating yourself. Think about it. Your lives are now interwoven together. Your spouse cannot experience joy or pain, blessing or cursing, without it also affecting you."

It boils down to the belief that when you join into a marriage, two become one. And when one hurts, both hurt. When one celebrates, both celebrate. I think it ties in with the idea that you can't truly love someone else until you learn to love yourself. Because once you take the vows and make the commitment... your spouse becomes one with you. And if you don't love you, how can you love this new part of you?

Today's Dare

"What need does your spouse have that you could meet today?... Choose a gesture that says "I cherish you" and do it with a smile."

Reflections

"What did you choose to show that you cherish your mate? What did you learn from this experience?"

I didn't feel very inspired by this Dare. I did follow up with Jeff on a health thing- he had been complaining about his ear hurting so I made a point to check in with him and see how he was feeling.