Good Love

from Ben's mom

I've been cleaning the house all week. It is the deep kind where I rearrange things, discard things that have been in storage too long, and temporarily make a bigger mess pulling things out from corners and closets to make sure there are no cobwebs back there. To say it has needed it for a while is an understatement. The linen closets were in disarray with tablecloths tucked in between sheets and towels in with blankets. I have given thought to whether or not I should be employed as a homemaker--especially when I had to fill out my employer information for an auto insurance quote online. (Occupation: Homemaker; How long employed by current employer? Hmmm...Good question. Was I employed when I was wed? Or when I quit my other full-time job?) This brought up questions of what would happen if I was given a performance review? ("Cooking-8; Laundry-7 had to dock you because you don't iron and sometimes make me put my socks in my overcrowded drawer; Cleaning-3..."well you get the picture!).

Each day this week MJR has come home from work to me telling him to overlook the living room ("it has to look worse before it looks better") and taking him excitedly to show him a closet or the laundry room and the new better, space-saving improvements I've made. Each time he kindly praises my efforts and then goes to change his clothes and play with his son.

Along about yesterday I realized something. His love for me is no more or less based upon my incredible productivity this week. He would love me just the same if I hadn't decided I had to make some progress and defeat the dust. But much of my motivation for some of the changes was because I love him so very much and I want his life to flow more smoothly.

And with that realization came a smile at the parallel. When we married we wanted our marriage to be a reflection of Christ's love for the Church. And here it was in action. My husband's unwavering love buoys me to new industrious and creative heights. I can rest content that his love is not based upon my performance and the result is a desire to perform even better to show my love for him. And I get to grasp anew how rich, wide, deep and full is the love of Christ for me.