Love Songs: The "Married" Version

My fellow office-lady and I listen to the radio during the work day. When she's off work, I generally listen to Pandora online (the Hillsong station!) but she really likes listening to the local station- it is nice to get the local news and weather along with some tunes.

Have you ever noticed how many love songs there are? It's amazing. And so many of them are about falling in love- the first moments, seeing one another across a room and just "knowing..." all that twitterpation and butterflies in the tummy and blushing...

I've been in a relationship with Hunky Husband for... like, seven years. There isn't much blushing or sweaty palms going on anymore... it's hard to relate to some of these songs.

I've got a solution! Maybe they should include more marriage-minded lyrics in love songs. Some lend themselves very well to common marriage experiences! My suggestions are bolded in the lyrics, just for you.

"Little Things" by One Direction: 

"I wont let these little things
Slip out of my mouth
but if it's true
It's you
It's you
They add up to
I'm in love with you
And all these little things

Like when you pick your socks up off the bathroom floor

Without being asked" 

"I Will Wait" by Mumford and Sons:

"Well, I came home
Like a stone, and with rocks in my pockets

For you to find while doing laundry,
And I fell heavy into your arms
These days of dust
Which we've known
Will blow away with this new sun

Or when you finally get around to dusting, maybe
And I will wait, I will wait for you

To get out of the shower so I can get in

I will wait, I will wait for you

But you might just make us both late for church" 

"Why Can't I" by Liz Phair:

"Why can't I breathe, oh yeah it's because you farted

Maybe you shouldn't have eaten that last burrito
It was inevitable that you were gonna be gassy by bedtime
So tell me
Why can't I breathe, oh yeah it's because you farted"

Even some heartbreak-type love songs can be altered to fit a marriage situation!

"Wrecking Ball" by Miley Cyrus

"I came in like a wrecking ball
I was in a hurry and that's why I left my shoes on the floooor
I didn't mean for you to almost to break the wall

When you tripped over my adorable new boots"

Okay, maybe some of these are a bit of a stretch.

Note: This post is meant to be silly- I mean no disrespect to the artists (okay, maybe toward Miley for the whole swinging naked on a wrecking ball thing) and even more so, I mean no disrespect to my husband or our marriage. Neither of us is perfect, and joking about those imperfections is one way to show one another grace.

(Even though my husband demonstrated very little physical grace when tripping over my adorable new boots). 

Carpet Shampooers: A Philosophical Take

Today, I used a carpet shampooer.

It's actually one of my most favorite things to do. Granted, it's time consuming and often kinda messy, but there's just something so... so wonderful about carpet shampooing.

I didn't actually use it to shampoo a carpet this time- we got a couch from a relative, and it had been sitting in storage (ie: an old hen house that Zeke's folks use as a storage building now) for a while, so I used the nifty upholstery attachment to get the couch good and clean. It needed it.

As I listened to the hum of the suction (ah, lovely), I got to thinking. What is it about carpet shampooers, anyway? And then I realized...

Source

It's this!

Nasty, disturbing, and yucky, but also strangely satisfying.

It's the results! 

In fact, almost every aspect of the shampooer is about results. The upholstery attachment is clear, so you can see the water getting all sucked up. The retaining tank is also clear, so you can see the grossness you've collected already. Granted, these features do have practical applications as well, but I'll be honest. I love carpet shampooing for the very satisfying results. The knowledge that a difference is being made is what makes the hassle and the time all worth it. 

Aren't we like that with a lot of things? When I started thinking about it, I realized how my decisions are shaped by whether or not I'll see results.

How many times do we give up on something because we just aren't seeing results? 

Sure, maybe giving to the needy is important, but if I don't feel like I'm making a difference... if I don't see those smiling faces...

I know I need to be more gracious towards someone in my life who is difficult to love, but if she doesn't say thank you when I help her... if she continues to walk away from faith... if she still has that unlovely attitude...

Submitting to my husband's headship in the home is important, but if our marriage still doesn't seem to be improving despite my efforts...

We tend to equate results with success. When you see results- that's when you know that you've been successful. I study Chemistry, I get a good grade on the test. If I train for race, I run well. If I practice making a complicated recipe, it turns out delicious. Results. Success.

But is that the way God views it? 

At the end of the day, I'm inclined to believe that God sees our obedience as far more valuable than the results. After all, how many times do we work at something without success, only to find out that years later that we made a great impact? Who am I to say that another frustrating encounter with my sister is valueless, that tutoring a struggling kid (who never seemed to get anywhere) didn't result in something good in his life?

Before giving up on something we're called to because you don't feel like you're making a difference, remember this-

God defines success in obedience, not by how much I accomplish. He measures value not in results, but in attitude and willingness to answer His call. I may not see results right away, but He who began a good work in me will carry it to completion.