One day many months ago, after Jay and Michelle were married they decided to accompany me and Tabitha in a double date consisting of dinner and a movie. I forget what the conversation was, or how we even talked about the subject, but all I remember is Jay saying “I’m the only one who will take out the garbage. I`m not letting Michelle`s pretty hands touch the stuff!”

Not only until recently did I truly understand: Women want to feel like they are looked after, and that`s what Jay was doing with those particular actions. My wife also wants me to take care of her. She has a very large mothering side, but she has a desire for me to take care of her and make her feel protected.

I realize now this is in the smallest of things. This includes walking on the car side of the sidewalk, opening doors for her, unlocking her side of the car first, doing the dishes, the garbage … and the list goes on. Don`t be mistaken … I`m not depended on to do these things. It`s not like I`m a slave at her every whim. She doesn`t abuse me this way. She has done dishes, and recycling, and vacuuming. But she likes it when I do it for her.

So, how can you take care of your significant other? Start with the little things … she will be grateful. It will make her feel loved, pursued, and cherished. Well worth the investment of your time.

Make your spouse feel loved deeply.
Make them feel desired infinitely.
Cherish each other intimately.

Aaron

Yesterday I decided to be a godly, loving, serving, wonderful, caring, gracious, Christlike, (humble?!) husband.

I did the dishes for my wife.

Am I a good guy or what?!

I’m a tool sometimes.

About halfway through the pasta dishes I suddenly realized- “I’m not doing the dishes for her.  I’m doing them for us.”

Dishes aren’t ‘her’ chore- they’re our responsibility.  Same with pretty much everything else around the house.  I can’t give birth- other than that, it’s all US.

PLEASE…serve your spouse.  But don’t act like you’re doing them a favor and expect something in return.

I tore this straight off Mark Batterson’s blog:

“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the host of heaven will pause to say, ‘There lived a great street sweeper who did his job well’.” -Martin Luther King Jr.-

Reminds me of Ecclesiastes 9:10…whatever you find to do, do it with all your might.

I re-wrote MLK’s quote for my marriage:

If a man is called to be a husband, he should love even as Jesus loved the church, serve as Mother Theresa did the poor, and cherish as the shepherd does his sheep.

I’m going to try to live like that this weekend with my wife.