[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. ]
Pray for family members, thank God for them, love them and show them love in some tangible way.
“Render service with a good attitude, as to the Lord and not men” (Ephesians 6:7).
The first part of this dare is pretty easy for me personally. I actually enjoy praying and start each day with a morning offering, rosary and Mass. I have long trained myself to offer up hurts and ask the Lord to catch them up to heaven and pour them down as grace on the one who has hurt me. (This is my personal secret to forgiveness and happy relationships). The second part of the dare… well, not so much.
I am an under-my-breath complainer. I complain about the messy house, the piles of dishes, my husband’s long hours and the kids’ behavior and don’t get me started about the laundry!!
Laundry is my pet peeve. There is always too much. No one reuses their towels (I have even tried hiding them and charging the kids a quarter when they need a new one, to no avail.) Almost every day I rant and rave at my kids about the amount of laundry they have, “dumped,” on me. Today, I used the dare to try to be different.
I washed dried and folded 6 loads of laundry in-between housework, appointments and writing. Here’s the kicker though, I tried to do it with a good attitude as tangible proof of my love for my family members.
It worked out all right. I hope I can remember this when I start to get bugged about little things. When I wash dishes, I can remember when I didn’t have a big, beautiful family and only my dish sat in the sink. When I pick up the dog hair, reflecting on how happy my two dogs make me (and the whole family) can change my attitude. I guess I just need a major attitude adjustment and I will try to start today.
Lord, You hung on a cross for me and yet I have trouble with doing laundry for my family. Forgive me for my complaining and help me to do all for You and for them with a loving attitude.
