Tuesday, October 14, 2008

The Love Dare - Day 9

Love Makes Good Impressions

To this point, The Love Dare has instructed us in ways we can make deliberate decisions to improve our love relationship with our spouse. We've learned how to be encouraging, kind, selfless and humble. Today, we need to remind ourselves not to take our mate for granted by the way we speak to him/her.

Jesus said, "Whatever is in your heart determines what you say." (Luke 6:45 NLT) When we say hello to our spouse, is our greeting forced? Is it so short that it takes little to no energy? Do we move on without taking the time to hear the response?

The Apostle Paul takes time to greet a number of different people in his letters to the different churches. He tells us to greet your brothers and sisters with a holy kiss. Jesus reminds us that it's easy to greet our friends nicely, but that we're also called to greet our enemies in a kind way.

Take the time in your busy day to greet your spouse that demonstrates deep, affectionate love. Remember that your love is seen in your body language and heard in the tone of your voice and the words you choose. Add some enthusiasm to your greeting. Let your spouse know you're glad to see him/her or happy to speak to him/her. Don't rush. Be patient and considerate when listening to the response. Chances are that you will learn something important with regard to how your mate is feeling in how he/she responds.

A sincere smile coupled with enthusaistic and loving words can do wonders for just about anyone!

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