Laying Down Your Life

Pretty much everyone has heard the Bible verse which says, “Greater love hath no man than this, that he lays down his life for his friends.” Maybe you didn’t realize that it comes from the Bible, but you’ve probably heard it somewhere.

As guys, it’s easy for us to think of laying down our lives as being willing to die for another person. We feel like, “If that’s what I’ve got to do to protect my family, no problem, as long as they’re okay.” While that’s definitely a noble sentiment, there’s more than one way to take the idea of laying down your life. What about the way that means “giving up your desires, in order to something you don’t want to do, for the other person”? That one’s a little harder to handle.

Amazing that it would be so, but for many, the idea of dying for their spouse is easier to accept than the idea of laying down their life to go shopping. Shopping? Isn’t that like the most profane word you can find in the official Guy’s Dictionary?

Let me clarify something here, I’m not talking about guy shopping, I’m talking about girl shopping. You know the difference, right? Guy shopping is hunting for the item you are looking for and getting out of the store as quick as possible. Girl shopping (isn’t shopping for a girl) is going out with the girls to wander around the mall, especially the clothing stores, to see what you can see, maybe try a few things on, and maybe buy something. But, you know, if you were to go shopping, that’s girl shopping, with your wife, that would really be an act of love, especially since she probably already knows how much you hate to go shopping.

You can actually make shopping with your wife fun. Here’s a few hints to help you out:

• Never eat before going, that way you’ve got to eat while you are there.
• Use the time together; driving, walking between stores, and while you eat, to talk.
• Bring a good book to read while she’s busy.
• Don’t forget to get ice cream, a hot pretzel, or any other good looking munchies, while you’re wandering through the mall.
• Take the time to go into stores that you’re interested in too; she won’t mind.
• Offer to carry her packages. While she would probably hand them to you anyway, offering to carry them makes you look good.

More than anything else, relax, be patient, don’t worry about the things you’re not getting done while you’re at the mall. Make the best use of the time to be with your wife as much as possible. Oh, and make her show you the things she’s trying on. She might find something that you really like.