Instead of reviewing the book Slow Burn by my friend Mary DeMuth, I opted to participate in her blog tour by completing a writing assignment on the theme of a time I witnessed sacrificial love. I thought and thought of a big example-- something weighty and poignant.
I came up with nothing.
And then it dawned on me. I witness sacrificial love every day when I watch my husband. He's not perfect and sometimes he makes me so stinking mad I could pinch him. (Just keeping it real.) But at the heart of everything he does and everything he is is that word: sacrifice.
From getting up early in the morning to help get kids to school. To dressing and driving an hour commute to work when many days he doesn't feel like it. To working all day to support us when I know he has dreams he'd like to be chasing. To coming home to roll up his sleeves and help with dinner, and baths, and clean up and homework and bedtime routines. To getting an inexpensive car when he really wants a nice one... just so our family can stay financially secure. To spending an entire Saturday changing out the insides of a toilet or stripping wallpaper and painting a bathroom. To getting in the car again to drive yet another child somewhere when he is so tired. To loving on his kids when what he really wants is to just be left alone... I see sacrifice. I see him laying down what he desires for the good of those he loves.
It turns out I didn't have to look into the distant past or beyond my own home to see a beautiful example of sacrificial love. It is played out every day right in front of my eyes. May God grant me the eyes to always see, to never forget and to remember those two oh-so-important words I know he'd like to hear more often: thanks honey.
Be sure to check out Mary's book, A Slow Burn. It's the second in a series. We chose the first book Daisy Chain, as our She Reads pick. You can head over to www.shereads.org to learn more about Mary and her writing.
7 comments:
wow...am I looking at the wrong things. Why is it so easy to see the negative. I need to change the way I am thinking! Thanks for the gentle reminder!
It took many years of marriage w/kids to realize how grateful I am for such a wonderful husband, who doesn't have to come home to this chaos everyday, but does, and usually with a cheerful attitude and lots of hugs and kisses. :)
What a wake up call. Thanks for reminding me how fabulous the Hubby really is.
Marybeth:
I was touched by your blog post today, as I found you through a link at Encouraging Words for Writers. Your post comes at a moment that is a bit uncanny.
I posted today about Young Love, Old Love on The Moonboat Cafe. Your husband is a beautiful example of what I was writing about: love that has matured.
Young romance is wonderful. Seasoned love improves upon it.
P.S. I tried to send this in an email, but my gmail account didn't recognize the email address you show under contacts.
Thanks for sharing such a sweet story! Someday I'll have to meet your hubby. I think he would get along well with mine.
I agree, Marybeth, sometimes I get so frustrated at the man I married...and then he shows how much he loves me and my children. He supports me by going to a ton of appearances/charity events. Tomorrow, I know he needs to sleep in. But instead, he's walking with me in the Heart Walk. Just to be with me even though I have duties to perform as Mrs. MT Int'l. He lets me shine when he could sleep. He builds fences, goes to work on the job site with our employees, and feeds the horses every morning so I don't sneeze. He rubs my shoulders when they cramp up from writing. He goes to movies he never heard of and helps me open our home to people all day any day. He makes sure our college kids have what they need and refuses to give when they need to learn from it. He loves to come to my rescue, especially when my car breaks down or I lock the keys in it in the middle of winter...while it's running. At least he makes me believe he loves to come to my rescue ;-) All those things don't even scratch the surface. Yes, I thank God for my husband and the daily sacrifices he makes for me and our kids.
Angie
http://www.MyGemofWisdom.com
http://GodUsesBrokenVessels.blogspot.com
I know exactly what you mean. My hubby is that way too. Now that our kids are grown and gone he is feeling less needed. He is a great guy that I have been married to for 28 years. There have been tough times, like when our daughter was murdered, but he is such a Godly man. He kept this wife/mommy right where she needed to be!God certainly gave me the perfect hubby! But, I have given him a pinch or two over the years.
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