He Loves Me!

Back in 1984 when Sally Field was awarded the Oscar, she said a memorable line in her acceptance speech. "You like me!"

How do you and I know that we’re liked or loved? Is it by the words people speak, or sometimes by actions?

This is the seventh home we’ve lived in during our 27 years of marriage. We rented two little places while we were newlyweds but we couldn’t really change anything inside them. We’ve built two homes so we were given the opportunity to choose fixtures, etc. Our other homes have been the fixer-upper kind.

In each kitchen we've attempted to make it look good and choose wisely for resale value. OK, so we shouldn’t have picked wallpaper in a couple of the houses, but at the time it was in style! Now about the back-splash tile… I have always had a love-affair with white subway tile. Every magazine page I’ve ripped out over the years always had a clean, modern country-style kitchen with white cabinets and white subway tile. My husband likes cherry cabinets and back-splash tile in “earthy” tones. Don’t they say opposites attract?

In our last home my husband and I were at a stand-off. He wanted a textured sandy-gray color; you can guess what I wanted. I finally “gave in” and said I didn’t mind his choice because I just wanted the kitchen finished! Marriage is about compromise and wives are supposed to be helpmates, so I was TRYING to be helpful. After the tile was installed the kitchen looked fine, but I never loved it and I’m sure I grumbled.

Our current home here in Illinois came with distressed white cabinets and black granite counter-tops. When we hired a contractor to install our new electric ovens Mike took me to a tile store and led me to the white subway tile. There was no real discussion; he just gave me my heart’s desire.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” 1Corinthians 13:4,5

I am selfish. There are SO many times when I am “self-seeking” and thinking of ME first instead of Mike first. Where my children are concerned I usually always think of “what do they need, how can I help”? Why don’t I always want to make my husband happy? I know marriage takes work and I am becoming more and more aware of the “work” I need to do!

How do you show your spouse you really love them? White subway tile makes me feel loved and cherished!