My Love Dare: Day 1

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. ~ Ephesians 4:2 (NIV)

Day 1: Love is patient

I inwardly cringed as I read the words.  Patience is not exactly a virtue I possess easily. 

Slow to anger?  Me?  uh.... no.  I'm more the over reacting type gal.  Oh sure, I might not yell and scream all the time. But I have plenty of other ways of showing my impatience.  I know that scowls, eye rolls, and deep sighs can go a long way.

But as the text of the chapter pointed out to me "No one likes to be around an impatient person."  Ouch! 

Gently nursing my proverbial bruised toes, I thought this over. It was true.  No denying it.  I know I don't like to be around impatient people (Hello kettle - have you met pot?)

Patience means giving people permission to be themselves.  To be human.  To make mistakes.  and to feel safe.   And isn't that what many of us want in marriage?  To be able to relax, be ourselves, and know we will be loved and accepted even when we make mistakes?  For me, the answer to that is a big fat "YES!"

TODAY'S DARE: THE FIRST PART OF THIS DARE IS FAIRLY SIMPLE.  ALTHOUGH LOVE IS COMMUNICATED IN A NUMBER OF WAYS, OUR WORDS OFTEN REFLECT THE CONDITION OF OUR HEART.  FOR THE NEXT DAY, RESOLVE TO DEMONSTRATE PATIENCE AND TO SAY NOTHING NEGATIVE TO YOUR SPOUSE AT ALL.  IF THE TEMPTATION ARISES, CHOOSE NOT TO SAY ANYTHING.  IT'S BETTER TO HOLD YOUR TONGUE THAN TO SAY SOMETHING YOU'LL REGRET.

Ok.  I could do that.  Of course, for me that also means watching my expressions.  I have no poker face what so ever.  But I was willing to give it my best. 

Admittedly, the Man of the House made it easy on me by working all day and not doing anything that I found especially irritating.  But it seemed as though my Love Dare was off to a good start, despite my concerns at the beginning of Day 1.

Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. ~ James 1:19