Common Interests

Common Interests

No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.

Kyle and I have been married for fifteen years. Initially, we enjoyed many separate interests and hobbies. After we started having children, we realized we weren’t spending as much time together as we had before kids, and we wanted to change that, so we started thinking about activities we could do together. My husband enjoyed cooking, so I would sit in the kitchen and visit with him while he cooked. We both loved being outdoors, and so we would go for walks or cross-country ski together. We were mindful to begin and continue to do things together, creating a habit of friendship and showing one another love through shared experiences, even during the busyness of family life, work, and everything else.

Incorporating this practice has made all the difference in our marriage. We wanted to be intentional with our friendship, remembering that it’s not always the over-the-top romantic feelings and gestures (as portrayed in movies) that make love last. Truthfully, there’s nothing all that interesting about what we do or how we do it—but this practice is the foundation that keeps our relationship strong, and that is everything to us. It has also been an example to our kids of what loving another person looks like through every season of life.

All relationships take some time and intentionality to cultivate, whether it’s a marriage, family, or other close friendships. When we do this, we are following the Scripture that tells us that when we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. This allows our children, our families, and those we come in contact with to see God’s love because it’s expressed through our intentional acts of loving one another.

— Kendra

— Today’s Act of Friendship —

Show love and care for someone close to you by inviting them to join you in a common interest.