I was the only one in my family who got the afternoon off from work, and I might as well admit right up front that I made use of the quiet to take a long nap. There's something about our downstairs couch that makes me conk out on Sunday afternoons! Then I did a bit of work on some classwork that's looming ahead before getting to the love tasks of the day. It was all stuff that has become typical over these last 36 days - clean up, pick up, straighten up kind of stuff.
But about half way through my tasks, I started thinking, "This doesn't count as loving Karen, because I've done this lots of times. I need to do something unique." Now, maybe I do need to do something unique, and I certainly don't want to argue against creativity in the way we express love to the people around us. But does doing something over and over really diminish the 'love factor' of that act? If that's true, then no young mother can be considered 'loving.' She does the same things over and over day after day. It's not love when you do it over and over?
I would argue it's MORE loving when you do it over and over! Lamentations 3:23 says, "The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease... They are new every morning." It doesn't say they are completely different every morning... just new. Delivered with a new commitment. Delivered with a renewed compassion. Delivered with a brand new desire to demonstrate love.
So here's what I've decided to do. When I find something that communicates love, I'm going to do it again and again and again and rebuke the devil for trying to convince me it doesn't count. Karen didn't agree with him at all. Her first words when she stepped in the house tonight were, "Oh, thank you for cleaning up for me!" My repetition felt like love to her!
But about half way through my tasks, I started thinking, "This doesn't count as loving Karen, because I've done this lots of times. I need to do something unique." Now, maybe I do need to do something unique, and I certainly don't want to argue against creativity in the way we express love to the people around us. But does doing something over and over really diminish the 'love factor' of that act? If that's true, then no young mother can be considered 'loving.' She does the same things over and over day after day. It's not love when you do it over and over? I would argue it's MORE loving when you do it over and over! Lamentations 3:23 says, "The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease... They are new every morning." It doesn't say they are completely different every morning... just new. Delivered with a new commitment. Delivered with a renewed compassion. Delivered with a brand new desire to demonstrate love. So here's what I've decided to do. When I find something that communicates love, I'm going to do it again and again and again and rebuke the devil for trying to convince me it doesn't count. Karen didn't agree with him at all. Her first words when she stepped in the house tonight were, "Oh, thank you for cleaning up for me!" My repetition felt like love to her!
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