It's Valentine's Week – Are You Paying Attention?

It’s here. Valentines week is here. By New Year’s Day the store isles were red and filled with hearts and candy. Hallmark and Kay Jewelers commercials abound. Some people love it, some hate it. Personally, I can take it or leave it. I don’t like the inflated prices on flowers, candy and balloons but I do like that it draws attention to our relationships. That attention, like everything in life can be good or bad but I was thinking what would happen if we all paid more attention to two relationships in our life, with God and with our spouse. Why don’t we try an experiment and pay more attention to the top two loves of our life for the rest of this month? What would that look like for you? Here’s what I’m doing.

I’m working on my relationship with God by actually reading a brief (seriously like a one minute brief) devotional thought called “Jesus Calling” and then the coninciding passage of scripture which is also brief. This is where the paying more attention part comes in. Instead of just reading it, praying and moving on I stay in my chair, quietly listening.  Allowing my mind and heart time to actually absorb those thoughts, to be fully engaged in the thought for awhile. Staying there allows me to really soak in the thought, to think how that applies to me and my life. I like to write down my thoughts so I keep a journal close by. By doing this I’m giving God the attention He is due. I’m respecting Him.

Then as I was sitting quietly “absorbing those thoughts” one day it occurred to me that my husband would probably like the same thing. He would like it if I really listened to him. Listened without multi-tasking. Listened without interrupting. Thought about what he said and asked questions to better understand instead of half listening, nodding my head or answering yes or no and moving right on to my agenda without giving his comments any real thought. Again, by doing this I’m giving him what he deserves, my attention without my agenda. I’m giving him my best input and not just my knee jerk reaction from my distracted brain. I’m showing him I value him.

What do you think? What can you do to show God and your spouse more attention this month?