The longer we’ve been married, and the busier we get, the easier it is to start taking our husbands for granted. Sure, we hope that they logically know that they are a priority, but how often do we actually show them this?
Years ago, I read A Woman After God’s Own Heart where author Elizabeth George suggested adding your husband and children to your daily to-do list, so that you remember to make them a priority. Then, next to their name, you list one thing you can do to show them that they are a priority in your life. (And, I must note, she adds God as her first priority!)
As a stay at home mom, I was with my kids all day every day and it was easy to remember to show them that they were important. But adding them to my list every day really encouraged me to go the extra mile and find something to do to show them they were special to me. Sometimes it was as simple as “not nagging,” and sometimes, it would be something more hands-on, like a reminder to make their favorite muffins.
While taking care of my girls came easily, remembering to not only add my husband to the list, but to move him to the top of the list was another story. Besides homeschooling, we were busy with the kids’ activities, church, and other life stuff. Most days, we were just happy to get through all we had to do and collapse into bed at night.
The simple act of adding Eric to my to-do list each day helped me to remember to show him that he was a top priority, and it also inspired me to find new little ways to bless him.
And as you may know, a whole book came out of that idea!
Taking that time to show Eric that he was a priority to me made our days richer, and I found we were connecting more on a real level, instead of just getting from one activity to the next. After awhile, this practice even led me to cutting back on activities so that we had more time as a family at home, and that changed our life for the better in so many ways. So when I say that this tip changed my marriage, I’m not kidding.
I want to encourage you today to put your husbands and kids on your to do list and think of one simple way you can show them that they are important to you. It might just be life-changing!
background photo by Hannah Olinger on unsplash
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