Can You Guess Our Love Languages?

I'm home today with a cold, so this is a little late.  I'm pondering the power of love languages this day after Valentine's Day.  I kind of hit the jackpot without trying and I'm still shaking my head over it.  For Valentine's Day, I made my husband and son a nice dinner (our daughter was gone for the evening).  We had Raspberry Chicken, Long Grain and Wild Rice, a spinach/broccoli and carrot medley, bread sticks (which my daughter had made) and Chocolate Coconut Candies (my husband loves coconut).  (Come back for Food Friday to see the recipes.) Later in the evening I cut my husband's hair for him, and this morning I ironed a few shirts for him before he left for work.  I know you're thinking, "How romantic! Not."  But, he melted.  Now, you could do the same things (including ironing my clothes for me) and I definitely would not melt!  However, I still remember the first time my husband held hands with me.  And I've also kept all his love notes and letters.  Can you guess my hubby's and my love languages?


The days of chivalry may be dead, but it's easy to understand why a fair maiden swooned when her hero came to her rescue.  Imagine a dashing young man spreading his coat on the ground to help a young lady pass over a muddy puddle with her long skirts. Offering her his strong arm, he places his hand on hers and gazes into her eyes with rapt attention.  Gallantly he helps her across to dry ground.  Safely on the other side, he quickly stops a passing vendor and presents a lovely flower to fair maiden, and as they part, he kisses her gloved hand with a bow, expressing his wish that they might meet again!  Mr. Gallant can't miss!  He is assured to have communicated love by his actions, for he has spoken every love language:  Serving her while helping her cross over the mud, expressing words of encouragement and affirmation in wanting to see her again, gift-giving with the flower, physical touch by wrapping her arm around his and kissing her hand, and "quality" time by his rapt attention and meeting her eyes!


We can innocently speak love to someone of the opposite sex without meaning to, because we not only receive love through that language, but speak it fluently.  It's our first course of action, quite natural for us--second nature, you might say.  As women, we need to remember to point ourselves towards our husbands and families when we speak love.  But, we need to speak their language.  This may not be second nature to us.  Women who feel unappreciated and unloved at home, but fulfilled, valued, loved, and affirmed outside the home might find this reversed if they spent more time seeking to speak the love languages of those in their home.  


Remembering that we are powerfully impacted with a feeling of being loved when someone else speaks our love language will help steer us away from speaking love and hearing love from the wrong people, which may avoid many temptations, but will also reveal ways to strengthen the bond of love in our marriages and homes.