Thirty Days of Thankfulness-A Countdown: #7

7. Today I am thankful for selflessness. When I first married my husband, I was 22, about to be 23. I was a much more selfish person than now. We both were. Until then, we had been independent and self-sufficient and self-reliant. Suddenly, we had to think about somebody else and take them into consideration when making decisions. A quarrel that ended in me taking off for a walk in the rain caused great panic to him. I didn't tell him I was leaving, so he thought I had just taken out the garbage. When he called my cell phone and it was still in the house, he began to worry that perhaps I hadn't left of my own accord.
I didn't think about any of that. I was just mad and wanted to cool off. Over the last ten years, we have worked through a lot of our selfishness. We still have it. It will always be something we wrestle against, but the times of selflessness and sacrifice that communicate our love to each other, those are priceless.
When you know that somebody put you first in a decision, it honors you and your relationship. It causes tenderness. For us, it causes us to be more likely to reciprocate that selflessness.
My David is caring and kind and quick to help me. When we had children, this was even truer than before. Even last night when it was his turn to enjoy a shoulder rub (we take turns), he knew I'd been having problems with my right shoulder and worked on mine for a good while before having his time to relax.
I am thankful for the sweetness of the Holy Spirit which enables us to put ourselves aside and consider how we are affecting others before making a decision. This is something that in my thirties I believe I can see better than in my early twenties.
We both chose our designated household chore early in marriage. I detested laundry and he detested dishes, so we each chose the other. Three children later, our chores are more demanding, but we serve each other in love. Occasionally, we will surprise the other by completing their chore for them which is the one we detest.
The best part of it? That there are no strings attached, no obligation. Just a communication of love and a desire to help. Our children are watching. We communicate sometimes verbally to reinforce the thought of serving, but have high hopes that they too will want to serve others in love as they grow. :)
And that is why I am thankful today for selflessness.