Love Actions

Sometimes, it's hard to stay nice to someone all the time.
And sometimes, that "someone" is your Mister.

We don't fight, but we do get grumpy with each other, and bicker quite a bit. Nothing major, nothing mean, just mild frustration. But it happens far too often.

And then something came along that made me realize this a bit stronger than I had before.

One of the projects for the young women in my church is called Personal Progress. It's something I missed out on as a girl of that age, and I'm going through and working on it on my own now.
It's basically a program intended to help you be prepared for womanhood, but of course it focuses on the home, and family, and faith, and all that good stuff.
I found something called "the 12 Days of Personal Progress" on Pinterest, that was intended to replicated a 12 days of Christmas study, and one of the experiences in it was for Divine Nature 3, which involved making your home life better.

(Quick note - I am not suggesting you go digging into what Personal Progress is, or what anything relating to the Church is, I am just sharing how I came about this. If you are interested, please feel free to click all those links. But we'll get to the less "churchy bits" in a second.)

The experience is stated as such:

Make your home life better. For two weeks, make a special effort to strengthen your relationship with a family member by showing love through your actions. Refrain from judging, criticizing, or speaking unkindly, and watch for positive qualities in that family member. Write notes of encouragement, pray for this family member, find ways to be helpful, and verbally express your love.

So, for two weeks, I tried to be more like that.

I failed.

Well, I wouldn't say I failed, but I was not 100% successful.
But what I did learn is this - my human nature does not easily let me not "judge, criticize, or speak unkindly". I am quick to be frustrated, and quick to say "just let me do it", or "well whose fault is that?".

And that does not make for happy home.

What does make for a happy home is all of the things it suggested you do instead - be encouraging, be helpful, and express your love (and praying for them, if that's your cup of tea).

Basically, doing more than just saying "I love you".

My two weeks are up for the challenge brought forth by this, but it's still something I need to work on. I know I have it in my power to create a more peaceful home, but it will take time, and it will take mindfulness.

Me and my Mister are the same and we are opposite. There are plenty of things we agree on, and plenty that we do not. And that is okay. It will be easier to accept that instead of trying to change it. There will always be clothes not in the dirty hamper, and there will always be soda cans left on the kitchen counter. His computer speakers will always be too loud, and he will always take longer than I would like for him to be ready to go somewhere.

What I can do, though, is know that he is who he is, and that I love him dearly, and life will be much better to, instead, help him when he needs it, put his clothes where they need to be, and not try to rush him out the door.

Love is easy. But showing love is hard.

Maybe you don't have this problem in your home (and oh how I wish I were you!), but it's always nice to be reminded of all the little things that make your home the way it is.

~Havok