Being taken for granted

I’ve noticed something, both in my marriage to my late husband Raul and my current husband Mark.  I tend to take their small kindnesses and hard work for granted!  I don’t mean to do that.  I don’t intentionally do that, but God has made me aware that I do indeed take my husband for granted instead of noticing and appreciating the little and big things he does.

For instance, for about 10 years, starting on our wedding night, my late husband Raul massaged my feet every single night right before I went to sleep.  I started to take that kindness for granted.  In fact, I remember asking him perhaps 2 or 3 years after we were married, “Why do you like massaging my feet?”  His answer was so interesting.  He said, “I don’t like to do it.  I do it to show my love for you.”  Oh!!  In my pea brain, I thought he did it because he wanted to.  But he did it because he was sacrificing his own interests to be a blessing to me!

Fast forward to my current husband Mark.  He often leaves me little love notes tucked under my computer or in a kitchen drawer or under my jewelry box.  Does he take the time to do that because he likes to do that?  I don’t think so.  He does those little things because he knows I enjoy romance. 

My point is this.  We often take for granted those little, kind acts and even the big things our husbands do.  We don’t stop to think that maybe they are sacrificing what they want to do to do things that make us happy or display love to us.  When your husband works hard for the family, stop taking that for granted!  When he brings you a cup of coffee, don’t take that for granted. No one likes to be taken for granted.  Instead, notice what your husband does for you and be thankful!  Gratitude is nourishing for your marriage, but it also pleases God.  1 Thessalonians 5:18 Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

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Is this challenge a test?

We’re all going to encounter challenges along life’s journey. Some of you may be in the middle of a marriage crisis. Some of you are facing a health or financial challenge. Or maybe you are in the middle of a really difficult situation with one of your children, or your mother-in-law. It’s so natural in the middle of those challenges to throw up your hands in despair. It’s even tempting to give up on believing that God is good and has a plan to bring something good out of the painful trial.
But have you considered that God may be allowing that trial to test whether your faith is genuine? Psalm 11:5 says, “The Lord tests the righteous…” Maybe God is waiting to see whether you’re only willing to trust Him and obey Him when times are good. Maybe God is asking you stay steady and calm in the middle of the storm as you stubbornly keep your eyes on Him. Maybe God is testing you to see if you truly believe that He is good and will bring something good out of this distressing situation. Afterall, He makes that promise in Romans 8:28.
What will you do during the challenge or trial? What you do, and how you react, reveal what you actually believe about God. Is your faith solid? Is your faith genuine? Can your trust in God withstand the test?

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