Happy Valentine's Day!
Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day? We must confess, we’re somewhat “Hit or Miss” with Valentine’s Day from year to year. It kinda depends on what’s happening in our lives at the time. For example, this year, one of us will be traveling for work during the week and will be having dinner with colleagues on the Wednesday that just happens to be February 14th, which just happens to be the day that everyone else will be celebrating Valentine’s Day. We know, we need to do better.
Honestly, it’s never really been a thing we’ve given a whole lot of thought to. If we’re around and it’s convenient, we celebrate it. If not, we don’t. No big deal. But something interesting happened a few weeks ago. We, along with several other couples, began a study of the book, Cherish, by Dr. Gary Thomas. It’s a book that explores what it means to Cherish our spouse and treasure him/her above all others. Since studying this book, we’ve been reminded of the vows that we took nearly 13 years ago when we promised “To Love and to Cherish” one another. Since that time, we’ve been working on love as an action, but have pretty much ignored the “Cherish”… What does that mean anyway?
Cherishing your spouse means:
· You protect them.
· You honor them.
· You treat them with tenderness.
· You nurture them.
· You indulge them.
· You hold them dear.
· You showcase them.
The book goes into detail about each point, but to summarize, to cherish your spouse basically means going out of your way to notice, appreciate, and honor them. It’s that icing on the marriage cake, beyond the love, commitment, and fidelity. To cherish is to make your spouse feel “special”, like they are the most important person in your world.
So how are you doing in this area? Do you think your spouse feels like the highest priority in your world? … Don’t guess. Ask! And while you’re at it, ask them what you can do to make them feel like your highest priority.
Call to Action:
What can you do starting today to show your spouse that he/she is cherished? Need a starting point? Ask your spouse to complete this sentence. “I feel cherished when…” When they answer, listen. And then become intentional about acting on what you’ve just learned.