Ray and I have been married almost forty-eight years. Here are five ways we nourish our love.
- Vacuuming the floors while I clean the toilets: He does the household chore I hate while I do the chore he hates.
- Cooking healthy meals: Ray loves to eat. My efforts in the kitchen are rewarded when he cleans up the kitchen after I have made a cooking mess. This is his way of telling me that he recognizes the time and effort it takes to make things from scratch because we are protecting our health.
- Saying I am proud of you: Ray uses this expression seldom but in timely, surprising ways. Yesterday he said, “I am proud of you for taking care of your health.”
- Having fun together in non-flashy ways: One of our favorite activities is going on walks. Sharing that day’s experiences, talking over plans, expressing dreams, and enjoying nature during our walks have all strengthened our love more than I thought possible. After all, it is just a walk. But there is something special about light exercise and being together.
- Being in the same room: Ray loves being able to look up from what he is doing and seeing me go about life. I may be across the room reading a book, pressing a shirt, or sitting on a deck chair watching the birds. He enjoys having me around.
- Making coffee and keeping my cup full: When I appear each morning to do my Bible study, Ray brings me a cup of coffee and refills it until he leaves for work. I feel pampered.
We have learned that enduring love is expressed through everyday activities.
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7