Tea Time
Every evening, my husband Chris and I try to have our three young kids in bed by 7:30 PM. After this, we each get an hour of quiet alone time. At 8:30, Chris comes downstairs to join me, and we chat, drink tea, and watch TV together.
Chris is much more introverted than I am, so I know the alone time is very important to him after a long day with coworkers and our crazy gang of children. During this hour, he enjoys watching videos or reading articles on topics that don’t exactly interest me, such as watchmaking, leatherworking, and cars. He is also taking online classes right now, and recently he’s had to give up some of his precious alone time to finish schoolwork.
But when the clock strikes 8:30, he logs off from it all and comes down to spend some time with me. It may not sound like a big deal, but hearing Chris on the stairs right at the expected time makes me feel loved and prioritized. We don’t get to go out for fancy dates very often, so this time together in the evening is our “date.” We both value this time, and we can rely on one another to consistently show up for it.
His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’
Matthew 25:21
Our Vow to Love Faithfully
The past couple of months, I’ve been writing about our Catholic marriage vows and simple ways to live them out. One of our vows is to love our spouse faithfully, and it can mean so much more than just avoiding extramarital affairs. Jesus explained to His disciples that those who were faithful in small matters would be faithful in larger matters, too. In fact, it is the “small matters” that actually train a person to be faithful in more difficult or heavy circumstances.
I know I will be able to rely on Chris in the darkest and most painful moments of my life because I can rely on him to come downstairs for tea at 8:30. I know he will show up for me when I truly need him, because he shows up for me every day.
To live out your marriage vow a little more today, I challenge you and your spouse to carve out a special block of time for just the two of you. It doesn’t have to be every day, and it can be short and simple. The most important part is that you both show up for it. When you prioritize time together, you show your spouse that you love them faithfully, in the small matters and the large.
Note: This post was originally written as a contribution to catholicmom.com. I cross-post my work here on my own blog.
