It’s no secret.  I like NEED coffee.  I get out of bed and do the zoned-out shuffle toward the coffee maker, eyes barely open.  My kids call me “Mombie.” I’m almost positive it’s not said respectfully. While I must have my morning cuppa, I enjoy a good brew any time of day.

source unknown

On this particular morning my selfish ummm…poor kids had sore throats, asked their dad if they could have a cup, and subsequently drained the pot.  Whhhaaattt??? I need my second cup if I’m going to be ready to face our school day! On a side note, so you’re not worried about my kids, they don’t get to drink coffee every day. I know, you’re also thinking what’s the big deal, so what if the pot was empty, make some more lazybones.  Well, I just don’t like to wait for my coffee, plain and simple.  I was prepared to go downstairs and start another pot when the Love of my Life called up to tell me it was on its way.  You can see why I love him.

My Love has been bringing me my coffee for thirty-plus years. He obviously knows my love language.  On a second side note, he is so intuitive that he actually does know my love language is acts of service.  For real.  Forget the gifts, clean my house.  (For the record, I actually do appreciate gifts, too!)

Sorry…I digress.  So yes, he brings me a cuppa love daily.  It’s important for me to recognize his various ways of saying, “I love you.”  There is a saying, I believe, that love is a verb.  It is action.  The words without the affirmation of acts, can sometimes feel empty if one does not feel loved.  A simple hug or a loving kiss, even a playful wink can say so much.  Making sure the needs of your special someone are met says “I care about you.”  Spending time together (preferably without the distraction of phones, or iPads, etc.) says, “I enjoy being with you.”

One day, My Love was preparing to travel for work (he used to travel regularly).  One of my girls asked if he had left without saying goodbye.  I told her that he was just saying, “I love you.”  She was quite confused by the statement.  It seemed that I did not answer her question.  I explained that he always made sure that my car had gas, the windshield wiper fluid was full and there was sufficient air in the tires before he left.  I continued to explain that it was his way of saying, “I love you.”

I’ve tried to teach my kids that when it comes to relationships, actions often speak louder than words (for good or for bad, unfortunately) and we must be willing to look for those expressions of love.  We must also be willing to back up our own words of love and affirmation with the appropriate deeds.

Lord, help me to back up my words with action and to love others as You do.

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.                     

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:1-8, 13 

As you can see, my family takes their coffee very seriously.  My boy and his wife made a quick Starbucks run on their wedding day. The feature photo at the top is from my cb girl’s wedding, though I guess in fairness it is a tea cup…it’s just so pretty. ♥

It’s quite funny, my cb girl just posted a similar thought on her blog!  We honestly did not plan that.  Read it on colourblindlife.com

*my apologies if any of the images above belong to you.  I didn’t have the original source available to include.