Steppin' Up -- a bit of rambling

I have a dear sweet mother-in-law who is gentle and kind -- quite frankly, she's very easy to love and adore. This makes being a daughter-in-law an honor and a position I easily enjoy. But in all honesty, I could step it up a notch (or two) and put in a lot more effort.

However, not every daughter-in-law has the blessing of a delightful mother-in-law. Yet as Christian women, we are required to show love (yes, that's that patient, kindness, not self-seeking, etc. kind of love!) to our mother-in-laws regardless of whether they treat us with the same love or not. I've heard stories about Christian women being terribly unwelcoming to the new daughter-in-law and the daughter-in-law not eager on spending time with her new mother-in-law. It's actually quite shameful to treat one another in a way that is not God-honoring, but we (in our human way) do it constantly. We must remember, that we too may be mother-in-laws some day and we should treat our mother-in-laws how we would want to be treated.

I'd have to say that daughters are more drawn to their own mothers since over time, it's often the case that mothers and daughters turn into very good friends. This natural friendship is easy due to the fact that we know each other very well. However, a mother-in-law's friendship is also a gift and seeking friendship and showing kindness toward her is required of us -- regardless if she is cantankerous, judgemental, and un-affectionate towards you.

So, as a gentle admonishing to myself and the two people who may actually read this blog, lets step it up a notch. Let's remember that our mother-in-laws took a lot of time and effort to raise these boys to be men -- men that we actually esteemed high enough to want to marry and grow old with. Lets make sure, to be grateful for her and to pray for her. Lets take the time to show her we appreciate her and think of new ways to show her our gratitude. And above all, lets grow in love -- you know, the REAL Christian sort of love:)

Thanks, Barb, for being so sweet and gentle while I learn slowly how to be a daughter-in-law:)

Today, after talking with my Mom for a while, she gave me some good ideas on how to show appreciation towards my mother-in-law. If you have any good ideas, I would love input!