Re: Day 9: Love Makes Good Impressions

Day 9 Love Makes Good Impression "Think of a specific way you'd like to greet your spouse today. Do it with a smile and with enthusiasm. Then determine to change your greeting to reflect your love for them" I thought today would be hard to do since we don’t live together and we don’t see each other on my day off, but luckily we had a date today to see a movie. He showed up and came in the house and startled me but when I saw him I smiled and hugged and kissed him. We talked for a few minutes about his day and what he was doing and getting done. I then said let me put my make up on so we can go and he said he needed to get on the internet. He went into the dining room and sat and I was about to go into the bathroom but instead I went towards him and kissed him affectionately. He looked at me in surprise and said “what was that for?” I said “because I wanted to is that ok?” He just nodded and smiled. I got ready and then got the baby ready to take to her aunt’s on the way to the movie. We talked on the way there about wireless services. It seems he wants to cut his line off ours just so he can get an iphone. I rolled my eyes and yes he saw it, but then I tried to kid it off cause I realized that was annoyance and a little bit of jealousy. Then I suggested if he got an iphone that maybe he should consider getting his older daughter (from a previous marriage) an ipod touch so they can video chat since they are so far away. He really liked that idea. As much as it hurt me to hear him talk about doing all these things on his own without me involved I just listened and encouraged him and said whatever he decided I would go along and help him in any way I could. We then went to the movie and we saw Act of Valor. Goodness I saw so much pride in his eyes and the way he talked about the missions and the things they were doing in the movie. He used to do some of that stuff in the Air Force. At the end we cried together and I hugged him. All the way to my house he talked about his Air Force past. I can see that the Air Force is the time he was most alive. I just stared at him in pure aww and pride. I’ve known him since I was 13 and the military has changed him so much. Well it has me too, but with him it’s a different kind of change. It hurts me to see him in this stand still of his life. Like I know that he will always feel that what he does is not anything compared to what he did. When he left my house we hugged. A long hug. I told him good luck on his interview tomorrow and I would pray for him. That I would miss him this weekend since I’m going away on a woman’s veteran’s retreat and wouldn’t be able to contact him. When I let go I could see he was tearing up but I didn’t ask why. I just felt it his anguish. I’m going to read my dares for the next few days, but I will not be able to perform them if it involves getting in contact with him. I won’t have access to internet or phone. Just my books, woman veterans and horses. I will be back hopefully Sunday evening when I return. The book asks how can i make this greeting an everyday thing. well it already is. When i see him my face lights up and he sees it. When i'm with him for long periods of time I'm all in him and what he is talking about. This by far was the easiest dare to me.

Your entry warms my heart and puts a smile on my face.

Since you won't have contact with him this weekend - I would use that time for prayer. Still pray about the dare...they can still be done in God's way no matter what the situation even if it "physically" can't be done it can "spiritually."

And I know the excitement is every time you see him. The dare more focuses on the lifetime of leading that greeting daily.

So be prepared when things change to reconciliation it still must be a blessing each morning.

Thank you.  I did take the last three days as time to pray and read my bible and meditate.  I learned a lot about myself.  

That needs to continue. Putting margin in your life with Christ will strengthen your realtionship with Christ and will help you through the daily trials you may have.

My husband comes home every morning to deliver papers. He arrives shortly aft 6am. I decided to get up at 5:30 to fold his papers and prepare a breakfast for him thinking he could use the time he would have spent folding papers to eat. I greeted him with a smile and a welcoming good morning. I offered him breakfast. He stuffed papers into his bag and then asked why I was being so nice, implying it doesn't make a difference. I said no reason, just to because. I reoffered hi breakfast (which was already at his place at the table.) He rejected breakfast and walked out the door shouting a lame thank you. Realizing these dares are for my personal growth I bit back the anger of rejection and tears that tried to follow. I thought todays dare would be easy. I suspected he would reject breakfast and question if I was trying to get him back. My kids watched all of this and are a bit concerned that if he knows I am trying to be nice to him, he will never come back. I tried explaining to them that no matter what is going on with Dad, God wants us to treat everyone nicely, even if they reject our gestures. I keep telling myself I need to give my marriage to God so He can work on it. I keep repeating that to myself everytime I want to do something out of desperation. It is just so very hard to do.

The reason it is so hard is because you are now trying to stop your flesh from the worldly things it has been believing for your entire life. You have done things your way for all this time, now you are handing it over to Christ.

Read the appendix about leading your heart. You have been following it in everything since birth. Now you are going to lead it. Yea that is extremely hard. But each day Christ is molding you more in His image. You will be humbled, you will be rejected (just as He was).

But you will be blessed.