Day 3: Love is not Selfish

"Whatever you put your time, energy and money into will become more important to you. It's hard to care for something you are not investing in. Along with restraining from negative comments, buy your spouse something that says, "I was thinking of you today."


Jay stayed home from work today because he was not feeling well. Everyone slept in this morning which was nice because it was rainy and yucky outside. I tried to keep everyone relatively quiet during breakfast because Jay was asleep on the couch, but as you can imagine, when the day gets cranking, being quiet is not likely and darn near impossible. When I suggested that Jay go to bed so we could quarantine him so he could have some peace and quiet, he refused. Repeatedly. And then was a little cranky when the littles were, well, being themselves. I got a little frustrated, but I did not say anything negative; instead, I made an effort to be incredibly patient and try to take care of everyone and continue to get some stuff done around the house. (I'm still climbing Mt. Washmore.)


"We live in a world enamored with "self." The culture around us teaches us to focus on our appearance, feelings, and personal desires as the top priority."


Several times today, I wondered if my frustration was actually selfishness because my day was not going as planned. I really tried to reframe it and go with the flow.


"Why do we have such low standards for ourselves but high expectations for our mate? The answer is a painful pill to swallow. We are all selfish."


Hmm. This one really made me think.


"Love is never satisfied except in the welfare of others. You can't be acting out of real love and selfishness at the same time. Choosing to love your mate will cause you to say "no" to what you want so you can say "yes" to what they need."


I think, with God's help, this was accomplished today. I did my best to meet Jay's needs and the needs of my family. Doing this challenge has made me think, really think about how I act and react, and has made me more purposeful and thoughtful in my actions and speech.


To fulfill today's "dare" I simply rented a movie while I was at the store that I thought Jay would like. I thought it would be something he could enjoy since he's not feeling well. I also made a big pot of soup for dinner. Soup is good for what ails you, right?


Dear God, thank you for the way I could feel your presence today. Thank you for calm in the midst of chaos. Please heal Jay so he can get back to the work he wants to complete. Lord, I pray that you will help me to truly put other's needs before my own wants and give me the ability to handle them with grace and love. Oh, and if you could get the truck unstuck? That would be great.