Be careful

Those are the last words out of mine and my husbands mouths before either of us leave the house, or when we get off the phone and know one is driving. After I love you of course. I said it to Tom this morning as he was getting ready to go to the store and I thought afterwards "why do we say that?" Is it really that important? Is it really going to make him be more careful? Is he really going to give every move he makes a second thought just because I said "be careful?" And in a sitation where someone else is not careful it won't even matter if we're being careful or not. I also started thinking it's just silly to say because of course we're going to be careful - we have three children to watch grow up! It's not like we're going out drag racing or speeding down the highway at 80 miles an hour (our speed limit is 45mph in most places!) so the chances of one of us doing something stupid is slim. We really just have to worry about all the other idiots on the road ;)

Then I really thought about it and thought how simply those words express love. We say them because we love the other one, not because we think they won't be careful. It's just an easy reminder to each other that we do care and worry about the other one when they are gone. Tom and I tend to say I love you a LOT. Sometimes we'll say it 3 times before we get off the phone. And we say it to our kids a LOT. So our kids tend to say it a LOT.

Then I really started thinking - it says in I Corinthians 13:13 "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." Of course it is. Without love, we couldn't have faith or hope. Which brought me to another thought (funny how that works) from John 3:16. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." How truly awesome is it that our Father gave His only son so that we may have life? Is that not THE greatest love of all?

I say I love my family. But is that enough? God gave the ultimate sacrifice of all - His one and only begotten son. He did that for ME so that I may know His love. Which, of course, is the greatest of all. It gives me my faith (funny how that works), and it gives me my hope (funny how that works.) So after all these jumbled thoughts came together I decided that yes, saying be careful is that important. It needs to be a reminder that while I can say I love you all I want, I need to show that love, and even one more day with those I love will allow me to do that.

So be careful :0