It’s the small tokens of love, added to the large ones, which speaks loudly.
The moments when someone went out of their way to bless, when they could have easily passed on by.
My husband did one of those this weekend.
We have a large lawn around the house.
From the beginning of our married-life-in-a-home-of-our-own he’s said, “I just like grass, nothing in the way, just grass.”
It took time for me to understand what he meant.
(I know it was clearly stated, but my love of flowers, trees, and ornamental bushes couldn’t grasp it.)
He really enjoys being able to just mow the lawn and have a neat and tidy yard without a lot of fuss.
However, he’s also learned that I’m not like that, at all.
I enjoy the work of gardening and the flowers, fruits, and veggies which come from it.
So, he’s given over parts of his lawn to a veggie garden, orchard, berry garden, flower beds, and recently to a play structure for the grandbabies.
As he was moving the play structure to mow, he found a bird’s nest built on the ground.
Thankfully, nothing was in it.
It couldn’t remain where it was, both the nest and future young would be in danger from the dog or the grandkids or the mower.
I happen to love old bird’s nest and have a small collection.
Although my husband was not a third of the way completed with his mowing and the rain clouds were threatening, he stopped what he was doing to gently carry it inside to give to me.
I was so surprised and responded, “Oh! It’s lovely! I have a collection of bird’s nest too.”
He smiled, “I know. Where do you want it?”
Immediately, I made a place for the nest.
I thanked my husband, kissed him, and he returned to his mowing.
His small gesture of love warms my heart.
Not because he doesn’t do huge things that say, “I love you” but because he does both.
And I know where love like his originates.
My husband loves me through the little things as well as the monumental, because Jesus loves that way.
1 John 4:19-21KJV — We love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
Mark 12:29-31KJV — And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
John 13:34-35 KJV — A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
I pray that I can love as I am loved.
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank You for Your Word! Thank You for helping me understand what true love is and where to find it: in You! Lord, please bless my husband for how much he loves me and others. Please help me to love as You do. Lord, help my husband and I to continue to love one another as You love us. Help our marriage to be inspiring to those around us. Lord, thank You for the bird’s nest. I know You are watching over them. In Your Word You said not one falls that You don’t know about. Thank You for being God Almighty, who sees all and knows all. I love You, Jesus. Amen.
patientlyhopeful 