Funny, but it's not one of things we often think of... but that doesn't make it any less true.
From the first couple on earth, Adam and Eve had a Tree of Life in their yard. John Beaman recently said, that when a couple gets married, a Tree of Life is planted by the Savior in their front yard. Any spouse (during any kind of sane moment) would never want to cut down a Tree of such great worth. Yet, at some point we all (all who want to know and some who don't) will learn that if we cut down our spouse, we are cutting down our own Tree. When we poison the roots we are harming ourselves and when we break off communication we are removing branches of precious fruit that we otherwise would be able to enjoy on a Tree of Greatest Worth.
A high school friend named Ryan said, "When we learn to see others as extensions of ourselves, the act of giving becomes the act of receiving."
Together these are a few powerful principles to apply in our marriages. Sharing eternal life and getting back what we give. What would our lives be like if we got back everything we gave away?
How abundant would your life be?
How strong would your relationships be?
(Ethiopia may be closer than I think, if that were to be true)
May we all find ways to give more selfless and sincere gifts of value to others more often, even every day.
Make it great today, and every day.
BP
