[Editor’s note: The author explains her family’s Lenten commitment to take the Love Dare here . Regular updates will be posted all through Lent. Click here to catch up on previous posts. Due to CE staff scheduling, we will not be able to keep up with these posts daily, but we will make sure they are all posted, even though it means they run past Lent. ]
Have a special dinner and get to know family members better.
“How blessed is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding” (Proverbs 3:13).
Tonight’s dare was a little difficult logistically, because my husband worked late and couldn’t be home for dinner. I used that to my advantage and treated my kids to a special dinner out. My husband and I had been blessed to have the morning alone and we went out to breakfast (just the two of us).
This dare is not really about the food at all, but about one of my core beliefs about love, family and relationships. When you love someone, you become an expert on them. I have been married for a long time, and yet I still learn new things about my husband everyday. My children grow and change daily. Each one is different from the next, so there is always something to learn. Spending time actively observing them, and asking questions about their lives helps me to love them more. What are their hopes, dreams, and fears? What really makes them happy or sad?
People do not remain the same. As their lives change, so do they. Watching, asking and learning about family members helps us love each other more.
Lord, what am I not noticing in my own family? Does someone have a need I am not meeting or a fear that I am ignoring? Help us to know each other better so that we can love each other more fully.
