Day 1: Love is Patient; Learning Acceptance

My first official Post directly from The LOVE DARE! dun dun duuuhhh

I admit, I am impatient so I'm curious to see what I will be doing today. I'm supposed to learn what Acceptance is.

CASSANDRA, BE PATIENT WITH HIM

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Eph 4:2

Today was an easy day. I was patient with Pat. There was one point where he was asking me a million questions and I could feel myself getting irritated but I made light of it. It wasn't so bad. I know that just because the day is over, my patience isn't over.

ACCEPTANCE

According to the Marriage Evaluation I need a lot of work. I scored a 71/143!

Perhaps your wife or husband says they often feel the weight of your disapproval, the constant pressure from you to change. But realize that you, too, are an imperfect person in need of their understanding, patience, and frequent forgiveness. To improve in acceptance, you must battle against these tendencies to be overly and quickly critical. Try to put yourself in your spouse's shoes. Give them permission to be human and make mistakes. Check your expectations. Are they fair and realistic? What is truly motivating them? The goal is to love your spouse unconditionally—praising them often, allowing them to fail, remaining patient until they see the need for change themselves, and being an encourager, not on the attack.

Some helpful verses for you to look up and learn from:

Colossians 3:12–13 – be accepting and forgiving, "just as the Lord has forgiven you"

Proverbs 17:9 – become someone who "conceals an offense" in the interest of love

1 Thessalonians 5:11 – make it your goal to "encourage one another and build each other up"

1 John 4:18 – realize that "perfect love drives out fear," making home a healthier place