A Genuine Thank-you

A Genuine Thank-You

Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.

Romans 12:10

“Single-handedly running the household isn’t very relaxing,” I wryly responded to my husband’s question about how the evening before had gone. His chuckle echoed through the phone during our early morning check-in while he was on a work trip halfway across the country. My words held no bite and were instead an understated acknowledgment of all the tasks, big and small, my husband quietly handles week in and week out in our family.

The weeks that he is gone I notice his absence in myriad ways. Not only do I miss my best friend, but I miss his set of hands to help with household work and his pair of eyes on our kids. I always end up with a renewed appreciation for all the tasks he takes on in our lives that I normally don’t have to think about, let alone figure out how to accomplish. We are a true team, and with young kids, we both pitch in without a second thought as to what work traditionally “belongs” to which gender. We just get it done.

But that doesn’t mean that a genuine thank-you isn’t important, especially in a marriage. My husband and I have learned that life ebbs and flows, and there are times when one of us simply has to pick up additional tasks for a week or two while life is busier than normal for the other. It’s amazing how far a kiss, a hug, and a genuine thank-you goes during those busy weeks. The simple acknowledgment of the other’s efforts to fill in the gaps, to pick up the slack, to take a few things off the plate of the other when work or ministry require extra time is a quiet reminder that we are on this journey together.

We honor one another when we recognize the role we each play in our marriage and in our household. That acknowledgment, I believe, has helped us forge a marriage of genuine affection and a love that is deeper today than it was on our wedding day.

Honoring those whose lives intersect our own goes far beyond children and marriage—siblings, parents, coworkers, and friends may also provide us with critical support, and we, in turn, can find ways to ease their burden during especially busy weeks.

—Julie

— Today’s Act of Kindness —

Honor someone in your life by picking up the slack in their busy season.