Life in our home should be a holiday for every member of the family. To make this celebration a reality, you need to work a little on yourself, even on your sense of humor. Surprise your loved ones every day. Plan specific good deeds, ask God: “What can I specifically do for my husband today to help him – encourage him, lighten his burden and make him feel special?” The answers to this question include sewing on that very button, running errands for him, doing something on his list, and even buying him new socks.
Every day, prepare for your husband’s return home, so you will show him that he is more important to you than all other people, and you love him.
Take a few minutes to have your house in order by then. The goal of such preparation is not absolute cleanliness, but only the impression of order and cleanliness. You can light scented candles, cut and arrange flowers in vases, turn on pleasant music, and even put something in the oven so that the husband who returns home experiences a variety of sensations that will tell him: “You are welcome here.” Prepare a special dinner. This means preparing for him his favorite dish, setting the table somehow in a special way.
Prepare yourself. Don’t you make yourself beautiful when guests arrive? Do your hair, freshen up your makeup, change clothes so that he doesn’t see you in the same jumpsuit that he saw you in the morning. Put on blush, lipstick, and spray yourself with perfume (“ointment and incense gladden the heart” Proverbs 27:9). After all the most important person in your life will now enter the door!
Prepare the children. Dirty faces, snotty noses and messy hair of children do not mean that they are happy to see dad. Prepare a greeting, “the heart of the righteous considers the answer …” (Prov. 15:28) and “a good word makes him glad” (Prov. 12:25). This is not the time to ask your husband: “Where have you been? Why are you so late? Why you did not call?” Also do not remember him all the troubles of the past day. The phrase with which you meet your returned husband sets the tone for the whole evening.
Schedule time that you could spend just the two of you. Elizabeth George, author of A Woman After God’s Own Heart, writes about her romantic evenings:
“During these two-hour dates, we went to McDonald’s, ordered two cups of coffee for a dollar, and had two whole hours of heart-to-heart talk.
As the kids got older, Jim and I took every opportunity to be alone with each other. It was easy not to take advantage of these opportunities and miss the chance to turn that time into a celebration of love.
In addition, every three months we planned trips for two – a habit that we still follow, although our nest is already empty.”
Plan time that you could spend with your children, meetings with friends, make your life more interesting, and do not wait for a miracle. Read funny children’s stories, visit swimming pools, parks, just walk and meet new people, participate in competitions and take the initiative.
The secret of family happiness is the ability to be happy. When our children and husbands see us happy, our family and home life will become more joyful and bright, it will really be a celebration. Whether the alarm rang in the morning, whether you picked up the children from school or returned home after a busy day – they should know that you are happy. Elizabeth George decided to develop this habit of always being happy after she read Psalm 113:9 “He grants the barren woman a home, Like a joyful mother of children..” So she began to pray—pray a lot! She prayed as she heard the first soft sounds of her daughters’ awakening and went to their room. Later, she began to pray when she followed them to school. She wanted them to see how happy she was to be with them again, after they had spent the whole day at school. As mothers, we are the most important influence in the lives of our children. We can radiate joy when we see them and share the happiness that lives in our hearts. This happiness is contagious.
Give because that is our purpose. Someone has to guard the family memories, turning the family into something beautiful. Someone should create comfort in the house and play the role of a designer. Someone must take the time to pray and be ready for the unexpected. Someone should treat the family as something worth fighting for, worth any career, worth the hard work of raising children in godliness and worth the effort of maintaining a home. Give generously!
The house should be filled with love, say often to your loved ones: “I love when you are at home … I love to see you smile …I love when we are with our children… love it when you share your dreams with me…”, just say more often love: “I love Sunday, I love to walk with you, play with you, have fun when we gather for dinner, and especially I love you!”
Tatyana Chetina,
based on the book “A Woman After God’s Own Heart” by Elizabeth George
