Sunday 10 November 2013

Working, Resting, Loving.

It's been a fair old couple of weeks. My husband had 2 job interviews (and got a job!), I did my 2 days a week at work, although I had to change the days to take my husband to the interviews. I managed to slam the car key between the front door of the house and the door-frame, braking the remote cover and bending the key itself. After a couple of days research online, I was able to find a replacement key for much cheaper than the dealer was quoting, but still, it was an expense we could have done without.

I've started getting the bus to work, after parking prices doubled. At first, I hated the idea but really, its not so bad. I get on at one of the first stops, so I'm guaranteed a seat, and I'd forgotten how nice it can be to just sit back, listen to a talking book, and let someone else worry about whether that gap is big enough for them to make the lane change.

Yesterday was a busy day. I looked around the house, at the dishes, the laundry to be put away, and the laundry to be washed. I thought of the fact the bedding needed changed, and that there were cooking apples I needed to use up.

So I washed dished, and folded laundry, and put it away, and loaded and unloaded washer and dryer, and put smaller things on the airer. And I stripped beds and made then up with clean linen. I chopped apples for an apple cake, and when my husband expressed disappointment there wasn't any sweet potato pie (he and my son had expressed interest in me making some pie), I mixed the pie crust, put the sweet potatoes in to bake, and went to the store for the other ingredients I needed. Had I started off intending to make both sweet potato pie and apple cake? No, I hadn't. Going to the store for the missing ingredients, making the pie, these were acts of love.

Sometimes, love is doing the laundry. Sometimes it's washing the dishes, or taking the time to make someone a special treat. Sometimes love is doing what needs to be done, even when you're tired, or upset, or not 'feeling' lovey. Sometimes love is making sure everyone has clean clothes in their dresser. Sometimes, we love by all the little, mundane, important day to day tasks we do. Sometimes, love is working.

And sometimes, love calls us to rest. It means leaving dishes half finished to read a child a story. It means pausing while folding laundry to play cars, or dollies. Sometimes, love is allowing yourself to sit with your kids and have a cuddle, even if you think there are things you need to be doing. Love can be thinking 'the dishes can wait until morning' so you can spend some extra time with your spouse after the kids go to bed.

Even when we don't think we are showing love, we are living it. In both our times of work, and our times of rest, we can live out love.



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