by Cathy Baker
There is a gratefulness often gone unspoken between two people, choosing to assume the other person knows how we feel. Then you turn around one day and find it’s too late to be clear.
It’s for this reason I decided to bundle six notes of gratitude together to slip into my hubby’s luggage for a recent trip to France. We’re empty nesters, that time in life when the dust begins to settle, and you’re re-introduced to this person you’ve raised children with for the past 20 years. I’ve found that it’s also a time when fresh appreciation for the spouse emerges.
Although we’ve been married for 25 years the number of years matters not… for gratitude is timeless.
So I purchased a pack of note cards and began writing one for each day he was to be away, spelling out why I’m grateful for him, by hand.
Sunday’s card shared what he could expect throughout the week. A Week of Gratefulness, if you will.- Monday focused on how grateful I am for his relationship with Christ, for it is from that relationship that all else flows.
- Tuesday through Thursday were specific things I’m grateful for, character-wise.
- Friday’s note by sharing how grateful I am for how hard he works. I chose to end the week focused on work because it doesn’t define who he is…it’s simply what he does. And he does it well. He’s one of the hardest workers I know, and for that, I am very grateful.
A few tips as you spell out your gratitude:
- Pray. Ask the Lord to help you see your spouse as He sees him/her. Sometimes our own insecurities, passiveness, or something as simple as busyness can blind us to the blessings he/she truly is.
- Set aside plenty of time to write your notes. Through the process of putting pen to paper you never know what God will reveal about your own heart. I speak from experience. I realized while I wrote Brian’s notes that I had not prayed for him in recent years like I once did.
- Pray again. This time, pray that God will use your words to encourage, inspire, and bless the one you married, whether it was one month ago, or fifty years. Ask Him to use the entire experience for His glory.
We can never go wrong when everything we do is bookended in prayer, right?
And one last note. If your spouse doesn’t travel, find fun places to leave your notes of gratitude. Maybe on the first card you could hint that he or she will find a new card in a new place each day. Have fun with it!
Okay, your turn. Please share one way you have shown gratitude toward your spouse, or someone in your life whom you love in the comment section. We all would like to know!
Thanks for the reminder to write notes just when I expressed to my accountability ladies that I needed to be intentional in appreciating my spouse. I have left him notes to find when I’m at a writing conference. Once when he went on a 3 week mission trip out of the country I slipped notes in his suitcase to find later.
Thanks for the note idea. Recently I purchased a set of window markers. I write love notes to my husband on his side of the mirror in our bathroom. That way when he stands in front of it each morning, he is reminded of how much I love him. I also write a scripture verse on mine to memorize. It is a fun and colorful way to share blessings.
Awesome article and tips, Cathy. “Gratitude is timeless.” Words that are priceless. Blessings friend.