40 Days

For the last 40 days I have been doing the "Love Dare" challenge to Daniel. It has been an incredible 40 days. I was certain that he had figured it out a while back, but he says he was completely surprised when I told him about it.

When I started the book, I was just hoping to do some nice things for Daniel and maybe get some nice things in return. Boy did I get more than I signed up for! It started out by doing nice things, which I expected. Then the dares slowly developed into personal dares to change your heart and your thinking. Then again, it stretched even further to challenge you to develop a deeper relationship with God. I did not see that coming. Needless to say, the last 40 days have challenged me beyond where I thought I would go. They have taught me that I am selfish, judgemental and harsh (don't let this get you down, it gets better). It also taught me that Jesus came to save me from all of those things! It taught me that I need give more to others and think less about myself, that I need to leave the judging to the Almighty, and that I, as a Christian wife, am called to do all things with love. Not the kind of love that feels good, but the kind of love that serves and forgives when it doesn't want to. The kind of love that Christ shows us EVERY DAY! To be honest, I didn't think I was capable of doing this. It was calling me to make changes is almost every aspect of who I am. I have always been stubborn and I LOVE to get my way. For 40 days I've had to say no to these things on a regular basis. And guess what?! It hasn't been hard! It has actually made things greater within mine and Daniel's marriage and also with my everyday attitude to people in general! I have learned to stop and say a quick prayer for patience and understanding when I'm in an irritating situation, which in turn makes everyone happier!

Most importantly the 40 days has taught me what it mean to love unconditionally. While I still may not grasp the whole concept fully (I'm still pretty young and have ALOT to learn), I do think that I have found the right track in letting the one's I love know that I will love them without conditions or agendas. Christ has shown us this kind of love and I believe we are called to pass that on to others. And let's be honest, don't we all want to be loved that way? It's got to start somewhere!!

Last night as I gave Daniel the book with all of my thoughts and prayers from the 40 days, I had that feeling like you get after Church Camp. You know, the feeling that you have experienced something life changing and part of you is sad that it's over. I assured Daniel that what I learned and practiced isn't over, but I put so much emotion into this book, that it was almost hard to let go of.

So, if you have debated on whether or not to try this dare, I say DO IT! You will get much more than you bargain for.....in a GREAT way!