Last night, around 6:00, I was busy putting eye liner on my
husband. If you don’t know us well that
statement may surprise you. But, if you ever
spent much time in ministry around us nothing about that statement surprised
you- instead you just wondered what crazy costume (A) was dressing up in this
time. (For the record it was Pharaoh)
This morning I will give myself the 234th shot of
this pregnancy (with another 30ish still to go). The needle is small, it really isn’t a huge deal. I did it before with (a) as well, so this is “old
hat” by now.
In the past week we have watched “Fievel Goes West” 17
times.
Over the past year we have put thousands of miles on our
vehicles driving across I-64 to be back in Indiana for 24 short hours at a
time.
For the past 3 ½ years we have given up countless hours of
sleep, sacrificed the last of our favorite foods, turned the channel to
cartoons when we didn’t want to, and answered 40 million “why?” questions a
day.
The things we do for love. And most of the time, we honestly don’t
even realize we are doing them, because when we do things for love we often don’t
think too much about the sacrifice.
Instead, we think of what it will mean for someone else.
When I mentioned to (A) last night that I brought some black
eyeliner for his Pharaoh costume, he didn’t even flinch. He’s a pretty “manly man,” but when it comes
to ministry with kids, there isn’t much he won’t do to get them excited and
interested in the lesson or situation.
And because I know what he will do for the love of ministry, I knew he
wouldn’t even think twice. The things
we do for love.
When I take my shot each day, I don’t often think about the
needle prick or the bruise it usually leaves behind on my lower belly. Instead, I think about how much I love being
a mom, how much I cherish the opportunity to help God create a miracle, and I
stop to pray for that little life growing inside of me. I consider it such a small price to pay for
the joy we will meet in a few short weeks.
The things we do for love.
The Cowboy keeps us up at night, always seems to prefer was
is on our plates, has his own set of favorite shows and movies, would drive a
hard bargain with even the best trained lawyer you could find, and can come up
with questions even a bonified genius couldn’t answer. But somehow (MOST of the time), we barely
even notice as we pass over the last of our delicious pork chop or favorite ice
cream, stumble to stay awake, or answer the questions and navigate the
bargaining table. The grin on his face,
the unprompted “I love you”s, and the blessing of a healthy, growing little boy
make those small sacrifices to pay. The
things we do for love.
We spend more hours on the road than hours together just to
see precious friends and family. We
spend money, give up time, go the extra mile, settle for someone else’s favorite,
and repeat that decision over and over again without even thinking about it… because
we are willing to do those things for love.
And if you are willing to do those things for love, I’m pretty sure it
is because you can look back over the years and know someone who showed you
that kind of sacrificial love as well. They modeled it, they set an example. It wasn’t usually a big grand gesture, it was
part of every day life, it was something they rarely thought twice about-
instead they just did it. The
things we do for love.
It was ultimately modeled by Jesus, the greatest example of
sacrificial love ever. And though I don’t
deserve it, I’m thankful everyday for the continual blessings He gives to me… The
things He will do for love.
“We love because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19
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