TO LOVE NO MATTER WHAT
Joey & Carla Link
February 7, 2018
To love, honor and cherish… On your wedding day as you spoke these words they seemed simple enough. But are they? To love our spouses unconditionally means to love them no matter what.
Joey likes to cook. He doesn’t clean as he goes or after the meal. He doesn’t close the cupboard doors he uses either. I nagged, I whined and I am sure I yelled but to no avail. I decided this was not going to be a deal breaker in our marriage so I cleaned and I closed doors. To slam them in his face or let him know how much longer it took me to clean up his cooking mess than it would have if he had rinsed stuff as he went was not showing love to him. Cleaning the kitchen and shutting cabinet doors with a smile on my face, thanking him for cooking supper is showing love, no matter what.
When I make a list of “no matter what’s” where Joey is concerned, I remind myself that his list of my “no matter what’s” is most likely longer. I jot down a way next to each of them how I will show him love when they happen. The best way to do this is to be thankful for what your spouse does do instead of focusing on what he/she doesn’t do.
What are the “no matter what’s” you need to love your spouse in spite of? By showing you love your spouse no matter what, you are showing your children how to love their siblings and others no matter what, which will help them love their future spouses no matter what. Loving no matter what – isn’t that the greatest love of all?
Action point: Make a list for your spouse and each of your kids to remind you how to love them no matter what.
