love & mondays

wow, am i actually posting twice in one week?!  wonders never cease…  hey, i never claimed to be a fantastic blogger.  i just can’t abandon all my faithful readers (hi mom!).

so… back when i was working as the receptionist at my church office, and my desk was downstairs (i feel like i just dated myself or something… some of you didn’t even *know* part of the church office used to be downstairs, didya? we’re talking at least 6 years ago…), one of our small group leaders came in to pick something up.  she and i were chatting about who-knows-what, and somehow the topic of marriage came up.  i remember 2 things that she said:

1 – “you know, you think you love him when you get married.  and then you live together and grow together and suddenly times passes and you find yourself amazed at how much MORE you love him.  it just grows so deep with time.”

now see, to my fully single, 19 or 20 year old self, i thought what she said was so romantic and very encouraging, especially coming from a woman who had been married for over 10 years at that point (i think).  after 10 years of marriage she was telling me that it only gets better!  i believed her.  i had pretty much no experience with romance and love of that kind.  but i believed her.  it sounded so wonderful.  and she seemed so happy. 

then she told me something else.

2 – “i still have such a hard time with mondays.  i get to have my husband home over the weekend and i get all used to having him around and it’s so wonderful.  and then he has to go back to work on monday and it’s just so hard for me!”

ok, that’s really cute too, right?  i didn’t exactly think so.  i actually thought it was kind of a weird thing to say.  i mean, he’s your husband.  you live with him.  you see him every night and every morning.  you share a bed and a bathroom with him.  she talked about weekends like they were some kind of treasure.  and mondays like they were some kind of burden.  it sounded a little over the top, but whatever.  she loves her husband and that’s great, right?

well, i’ve only been married for 3 months and 9 days and you know what?  i get it now. obviously not at the same level as she did (3 months and 9 days, people – i know i’m still a newleywed).  but from what i can tell, she was totally right. 

with every day that passes, i grow more in love with zach.  it’s amazing.  back when we were courting and engaged, i thought my heart would just *burst* with the crazy love i felt for him.  and now, those emotions seem so shallow compared to today.  i love zach even more deeply and fully than i ever have before.  i also realize that it’s not just an emotion i feel.  it’s a choice i make every day.  a hundred times a day.  it’s a choice i make when i put him before myself.  when i choose to think the best of him.  when i think about him when we’re apart.  when i look forward to seeing him with great anticipation.  when i take time to listen to him.  when i take time to talk with him.  when i follow his leadership as he follows God and leads our family.  crazy-love.

oh and that wierd monday thing?  it’s true too.  mondays never really bothered me all that much before.  i mean, they were typically a quiet, slower day in the office, a bit more laid back, regrouping from the weekend, creating a fresh task list for the week, etc.

but ooohhhh buddy.  i’m not gonna lie.  i do NOT like mondays at ALL now.  i totally treasure my weekends because i get to spend LOTS of time with zach.  we have intentionally set aside and structured at least Saturday mornings to just be together, if not the majority of the day.  so after spending the better part of a 48 hour period with my best friend and love of my life, how can i not hate having to say goodbye to him as he leaves for work, knowing i won’t get to see him for another 12 hours?  mondays are lame. 

i completely and totally understand and agree with what that woman said about mondays.  and about being in love.  she was absolutely right.  and i hope and pray that i will [choose to] be and feel this way 10 years from now.  and that maybe one day God will let me encourage some other young lady the same way.