Where There Is Kindness

I am making meatloaf for Daddy for dinner tonight. Aside from kishka, which I will never make in this lifetime, meatloaf is his favorite meal. It's Grandpa Z's recipe, filled with oatmeal, Ritz crackers, Whatsthishere Sauce (Worcestershire), BBQ sauce and eggs. He loves it. It's one of those comfort foods that I know will bring him peace as soon as he smells it. And it's one of the few foods your Daddy will actually eat every leftover of. I have never thrown an ounce of the two pound meatloaf away, ever. It's one of those things I will make for him when I know he's had a rough or busy day. It's a meal to sigh over for him.

Wednesday Daddy asked me if I would lead acapella singing on a hymn at a funeral. He asked me as I was driving to the funeral because the person who was supposed to sing it backed out. Now, I have no trouble singing, but I have terrible stage fright and this was in front of a large group of people without ever practicing. My gut was saying "Heck no!" but I the family had no one else. So I did it for Daddy ... reluctantly yes, but I did it. The whole time I am singing, "It Is Well With My Soul," I'm thinking to myself, "No, it is not." But I love him, so I did it.

Two days ago, Daddy carried every single packed Christmas box back up to the attic. Not because he likes to, but because he loves me. It's the same reason he dragged every last one of them down from the attic for me. Love.

It's those gestures, those moments that truly show love. That thing you do or buy just because they like it. That extra effort you make. You will have zillions of opportunities to do these things over the years. Not all will be fun for you, but they will certainly mean something to your loved one.

Galatians 6:9 says "Let us not lose heart in doing good." And Philippians 2:3-7 says: "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men." And who better to do all these things for than our spouse?

It's loving kindness, plain and simple.

There is a new movie coming out March 13 called Cinderella. In the trailer for the movie, the momma says to little Cinderella, "You have more kindness in your little finger than most people possess in their whole body. And where there is kindness there is goodness and where there is goodness, there is magic." So make an effort to stir up some magic in marriage. You are both worth it.

Now, I've got to go finish this magical meatloaf.

Discussion: Tell about specific things you remember your loved one doing for you out of kindness?

Prayer: Lord, You do sweet things for us all the time because of how much you love us. Thank you for that example. May we remember to not only do kind things for our spouse, but also for all those around us. In Jesus, Amen.