When Love Looks Like Sacrifice

Sometimes love looks like sacrifice…

Like when my husband lets me listen to Celine Dion’s Christmas album year-round. It’s April, and I’m jammin’ to “Christmas Eve” on a road trip, and he doesn’t care.

Like when we listen to Celine’s station on Pandora for six hours while scrubbing the glue from our soon-to-be stained concrete floor in preparation for our attendance at her concert in Vegas—my thirtieth birthday present.

It’s healthy for your marriage when you each have different interests and hobbies—but it’s also good for you to support each other, even when it’s not “your thing.” That’s love.

If your spouse likes to golf, for example—join him or her on the range. Even if you don’t play, you can sit and watch or ride in the cart.

If your spouse likes to run 10Ks, but you don’t—show up at a race with your water and sign and cheer him or her on.

If your spouse likes to shop—it won’t kill you to hold bags and offer an opinion for a few hours on a Saturday.

Your company is what matters. Too often married couples end up leading separate lives because they resort to, “Well, that’s her thing” or “That’s his thing.” Why can’t it be our thing—even if one of us is only a spectator?

Celine has long been iconic in my house. I grew up knowing all her songs, singing full-fledged living room concerts with my sister and Tomi. We sang “That’s the Way It Is” or “Because You Loved Me” or “Love Can Move Mountains” when a member of our family needed cheering up.

Y’all, we had fake microphones and choreographed dance moves and all. It was a thing.

To see Celine was on my bucket list—not necessarily Howell’s. But he gave me this present and thoroughly enjoyed himself the whole time.

In fact, he said, and I quote, “That was better than I expected.” Ha! :) 

Having different interests is perfectly healthy—and time apart to do your thing is good, too. But guard your marriage against the separate syndrome!

Show your support when you can—even if it requires sacrifice. Your spouse will be so grateful! 

p.s. Although Vegas is definitely not our kind of place, the Celine Dion concert was everything I hoped for and more! She performed beautifully! :) 

Click to Tweet: How can you support your spouse's 'thing'? @Grace2Write shares when love looks like sacrifice. #MarriageMonday

Serving Together

Serving others has really made a big difference in our marriage. There is something about doing good together that brings us closer. It’s one of the things that brought us together when we were first dating and has helped sustain us over the years.

I can’t think of anything better for a couple of people who have fallen in love than having quality time. The more time Laura and I spend with each other, the better we are at loving each other. We have done missions and volunteer work, and we often serve at our local church in various capacities. We do just about all of these together, and they continually build up the same priorities of service within us. Our ideas of whom and how to serve have grown to give us a united sense of purpose that helps drive our marriage.

Laura and I had not been dating long when we took a mission trip to Mexico over Spring Break that really brought us closer and helped build a firm foundation for our marriage to come.

First Mission Trip: On the bus to Mexico

We went on a mission trip to Guatemala before we even celebrated our first-year anniversary, and that trip bonded our marriage in ways that only third-world mission trips can do (side note: our bathroom didn’t have a door, and let’s just say we were both pretty sick for most of the trip. #forbetterorworse).

The Construction Crew

We found that serving others opened our eyes and our perspective and allowed us to serve each other better, too. Since those early years of marriage, we have made it a priority to hear from God about where and whom He would have us serve.

Serving brings you closer to God, and thus, you are better for each other. By serving others and the Lord, you bring yourself and those with you in line with God’s will. In Matthew 25, Jesus says “Truly, I say to you, as you do unto one of the least of these, my brothers, you did it to me.” Jesus is our example, the model for us. His entire purpose was about people and serving others.

In my life, serving others has proven again and again to bring me closer to Him and His will for my life. The same goes for our family. Our marriage is built on serving the Kingdom of Heaven; it’s our mission and purpose in life.

If you and your spouse are both believers, we encourage you to ask God how you can serve others in His kingdom. Volunteer together and see how much it blesses you.

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Howell

@G2WHubs