This morning started out like most mornings, just quite a bit earlier than normal. My early morning yesterday had me crashing early – lights out at 10p when I laid my head on my husbands lap. I may not have been awake to ring in the new year, but it was a nice quiet evening at home with lots of good healthy snacks.
So after waking at 5:15, attempting to go back to sleep which I could not do, I decided to get up and start my day. I did the dishes and made my morning coffee which is my morning ritual if I have not cleaned the sink the evening before.
Then it was off to the couch for coffee and some quiet time with the Lord. Today was an introspective day as the Holy Spirit put things on my heart and today I talked to Jesus about kindness and in the conversation I found myself wanting. I too often can be a person who is straight to the point and wants to get from point A to point B the most direct and quickest route, which especially in marriage can create friction with a spouse who works the opposite way. Not to say that the way I am is a bad thing, but God was speaking to me and showing me that there is much room for improvement in this area especially in my marriage, but I’m sure it’s effects will go further than that.
The Holy Spirit reminded me that for the first 40 months of our marriage (yes I count in months – we currently have been married 63 months) I bought something for my husband on every month anniversary because I knew that was his love language and it became a way to celebrate him and love him.
Over the last year, or year and a half, that act has fallen off and some hard struggles replaced it along with job changes, car troubles, and a new way of doing life to some extent. So this morning after my quiet time and the prompting from the Holy Spirit, I decided that I would do something really nice for my husband, and not just on the month of our anniversary, but every day! That is going to be a hard and easy challenge and I pray that our marriage will grow stronger for it as well has suffered this past year.
To fully appreciate this story, you need to know that I am the car geek of the family. I love to keep the outside of my car clean as well as the inside and now that we have one newer vehicle I really want to. My German heritage comes out when I clean cars as does the hard working example of my father, who would scrub at tough spots on the car until they were gone. If he couldn’t get them out, he would find something to help get them out, and then wax the car to keep it nicer longer. This morning the car loving side of me took over in a very humorous way!
So back to the gift to my husband, I decided to start my first RAK4H (Random Act of Kindness for my Husband) by washing the outside of his car. Of course to pull this off I had to do it before he got up, so I put a ton of hot water in a bucket with the Mother’s Gold Wash and Wax in it, bundled up and took the car to our car washing station. I knew that I wanted to use the hot water to start out so I washed the entire car, not worrying about the fact that it was 8a, freezing cold (which you don’t feel when you are working hard) and the suds were freezing to the car. Well it gets better!
Then I turned to get the hose, knowing I had a lot of hot water and towels to dry the car off quickly, well to my dismay, they had turned the water off at the source there at the car was station and there was no water to use! AHHHHHHHHHHH
Well after a minute I decided I had to clean it off so I drove the now white and green Honda Civic back and went to get a second bucket of just hot water. So now I have two buckets, one with suds and hot water and a second with hot water to rinse it off and towels at the ready to dry the car off. Now my husband is sleeping upstairs and I did not want to wake him, but he is a light sleeper, so I have no idea how I did not wake him. I went in and out and in and out and in and out….oh my! It took over an hour to clean his car this way, and not have the water freeze back on. It was 9:15 when I finished and then I decided to clean the windows with glass clearer inside and out. Originally I was going to vacuum the car for him, but since the water was off I wasn’t taking chances on the vacuum! So his car is clean! Washed on the outside, clean windows on the outside and the inside of the windshield as well as his dashboard getting a much needed cleaning. So note to self, no more RAK’s without thinking before, or maybe this will all be part of the fun journey of 2014! 🙂
So after making a second pot of coffee, warming my freezing cold bottom off, the act is done, and now he is up and so far I think he doesn’t know. He’s headed to the shower so I may sneak the vacuum out and do a quick job on his car, but we’ll see. I’ve just gotten warm! 🙂
If you have enjoyed this or feel challenged to do something for your husband I would love for you to share the story, or if you have done it in the past and have a story to share, I would love to hear!
As for now, Happy New Year, stay warm and may 2014 be a wonderful and growth filled year for you!
Noelle Bell Photography 