Theresa had a stroke 18 years ago. She doesn’t have control over her hands the way she once did. She has a hard time doing simple things in life, like styling her own hair. When she goes to the beauty salon, she leaves with a smile. She feels beautiful. But as soon as she washes her hair it falls flat, and she can’t get it to look the way the stylist does.
Andrew, Theresa’s husband of nearly 45 years, knows how much joy a new hairstyle brings her. He wants her to feel great about her hair every day, not just a few times a month. So he went to his wife’s salon and bought the hair products that he needed to re-create his wife’s look at home. Then Theresa’s hairstylist taught him how to use it all. Andrew spent hours practicing with a brush, a curling iron, and hair spray. He’s not ready to declare mastery over hair styling, but he sure enjoys seeing the smile on Theresa’s face.
Expressions of love like Andrew’s are inspiring. You don’t hear about them very often, sadly. Our culture promotes a view about marriage that’s contrary to the Bible. Relationship is all about making you happy or satisfying your own wants and desires. And if your spouse fails or hard times come, maybe you should move on to someone new.
The root of healthy marital love is not “What can I get from this?”, but “What can I give to my spouse?”
Grand gestures of love have their place in marriage, but it’s the little choices you make every day that are the most meaningful. Choosing to listen, being loyal, and living in peace can make a good marriage great and breathe new vigor into a relationship that’s on life support.
On our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Making Daily Choices to Love Your Spouse,” we’re talking about intentionally loving your spouse through values like commitment, self-sacrifice, and loving service.
Listen on your local radio station, online, on iTunes, via Podcast, or on our free phone app, or watch the full program on our YouTube channel.
Our guests are Ron and Deb DeArmond, who serve as Associate Pastors of Adult Ministry at Catch the Fire in Dallas, Texas. They’ve been married over 40 years.
Deb has also written a book titled, I Choose You Today: 31 Choices to Make Love Last. Let us put this resource into your hands. I’d like to do that for a gift of any amount. Give us a call at 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459). Or visit our website for more information.
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