Marriage from A to Z

“Saying Hello and Goodbye”

     When you or your spouse is leaving the house for the day, how do you say goodbye? Some people say they don’t like to say goodbye, but the question I am asking is what do you do when you leave each other’s presence for the day, the weekend or however long the time?   If  you are at home and your spouse arrives, how do you say hello? This week I want to challenge you to be intentional about giving a proper hello and proper goodbye (or see your later) to your spouse.

     I remember learning in pre-marital counseling that whenever your husband (or wife) enters the home you should stop what you are doing and greet him.  I was told if you are on the phone, get off the phone, and acknowledge that your queen or king has arrived. Greet with a smile, a nice hello, a hug, a kiss or all of the above. Greet in such a way that you make your husband/wife feel so good when you see them. After all, it is only because of God’s grace that we get to leave and make it back home safely.  We were encouraged to always make our hello and goodbye pleasant.   Your spouse should be the most important human in your life, give him/her the proper greeting whenever the Lord allows you to come into their presence one more time. It should be a mini celebration! (smile)

     So let’s not take leaving and entering our spouse’s presence for granted. It’s so easy to forget this principle, but what if this is your last time?  Take a moment to think about this each time that you are walking out the door, getting out of a car or leaving your spouse’s presence.  No matter what you are doing when your spouse gets ready to leave or enter, take a second to go and give the proper hello/goodbye. Give your spouse a kiss and a hug so nice that they can’t wait to get back to you!  (smile)  If you are not married, this principle can also be applied with your children, other family members and friends.  Always leave and enter on a pleasant note!

Until next week . . . .

Carolyn