I will never forget after my first child was born how amazed I was that I could feel such love for a “little person.” It was overwhelming. So, when my second child was about to enter the world five years later – I was concerned. I knew the enormity of my love for the first one and I just wasn’t sure there would be enough love left to love the next child with the same capacity. Now if you are a parent of more than one child, you know how silly that notion was. Love was not scarce. There was plenty to go around.
On a similar but different front, I occasionally will hear a spouse tell of how they “ration” (my word, not theirs), their love toward their mate. The logic will sometimes go like this – “If I just love them all the time, regardless of what they say and do, they will take me for granted and maybe even walk all over me. So, it is better if they are not completely certain of my love in order to keep them a little bit off balance. That way they will work harder in the relationship.”
While this may sound a bit goofy, at one time or another, many individuals have felt similarly. It may not be that they (or you) really want people to earn their love, but they want to ensure that their partner is investing appropriately. However, I ask you to consider what you desire with regards to receiving love from your husband or wife. Most would indicate a desire to know that their mate loves them unconditionally forever. In other words – without limits. If that is what you long for, it is safe to say that they do too. I encourage you to love your spouse this week with an unwavering reckless abandon that knows no boundaries.