Love in Action

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Today is Valentine's Day and a day to celebrate love. After 36 years of marriage, I realize that love is not the gushy romantic feelings that the movies make it out to be. Of course, it is like that in the beginning, when you are first dating. However, over time, it shifts and is more often represented in small actions. 

As I was reflecting on how Dan and I show love to each other, as well as to our family and friends, I realized love has more to do with what goes unnoticed than what is noticed. Love is about showing up day after day and often, is doing the hard things.

As I reflected on this, I realized I see love in action in so many ways each week.

💓 Love is my husband making sure he parks the car I'm going to use in the garage so that I don't have to slip on snow and ice in the morning when I'm leaving the house.  

💓 Love is making meals that I know my family loves even though I don't eat those things.


💓 Love is my husband helping me by doing the dishes each night and folding laundry. Love is me not correcting how he does those things even though it's not the way I would do it. 😉 Instead, I'm thankful that he does it!

💓 Love is setting aside our plans to go help our aging and frail parents. Love is doing the hard thing and showing up when needed.

💓 Love is saying the words, "thank you" so people know they are seen and appreciated.

💓 Love is baking dozens of cookies to put into baskets for refugee families I don't know to show them they are welcomed.


💓 Love is my husband getting me a refill on water whenever he sees it's empty. 

💓 Love is the boxes of sweets I smuggled into the house to give my husband and sons today. 

💓 Love is cleaning bathrooms.

💓 Love is ironing a shirt for my son when I hate ironing.

💓 Love is sending a note to someone who needs encouragement.


💓 Love is being disappointed by someone and still showing them grace because God shows me grace daily.

💓 Love is being humble enough to apologize when I'm at fault which happens often.

💓 Love is my husband buying me flowers for Valentine's Day even when I've told him he doesn't need to do that because they are kind of a waste of money.

💓 Love is donating a basket of goodies for a benefit to help out a friend going through cancer.


💓 Love is my husband turning on the coffee maker before I get up so coffee is ready when I want it.

💓 Love is my daughter calling me to just tell me about her day and sending me silly memes because she knows they make me laugh.

💓 Love is ignoring your spouses quirks that drive you crazy at times, because you know you have quirks that irritate him.

💓 Love is talking about random topics and challenging one another.

💓 Love is seeing our personalities and talents being lived out in our children's lives.

💓 Love is my husband filling my car with gas before I go on a trip. I'm capable of filling my own car, but he always does it before I leave and I appreciate that.

💓 Love is boys who tell me that I'm not allowed to lift something heavy and do it for me.

💓 Love is saying, "I love you" at the end of every text or phone call.

💓 Love is noticing what is being done right instead of always focusing on what is being done wrong.

Love is shown around here in so many ways each day. It's easy to take it for granted and look for it in the big and flashy things. But it is shown in small ways, on a daily basis, and in sometimes, unnoticed activities.

I am thankful for that reminder this morning. Happy Valentine's Day!

Comments

  1. AngelaFebruary 14, 2025 at 6:45 AM

    Loving your list! It is the quiet actions often unnoticed [and also it is appreciating those thiongs when others do them for you] 💜

    ReplyDelete
  2. ElizabethdFebruary 14, 2025 at 7:15 AM

    Perfect list!

    ReplyDelete

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