I walked in the room, and Terri was just finishing making the bed, so I reached down to pull up one side of the quilt to help her.  She said, “Don’t worry about it, I’ll get it.”

Being basically a very romantic sort of guy, I said, “It will only take me a few seconds to help, and it’s easier with two.  You are worth a few seconds to me.  You might even be worth sixty seconds!”  What a guy!  How could anyone be more charming than that? 🙂

So Terri told me about this article she read today, Most Marriages Break Down Over Mundane Household Chores.  That’s a relief, because if it was over dumb jokes, I’d be in trouble.  Based on the article, I’m not sure the headline is accurate (it sounds like money, not chores, is the biggest factor).  But little things like chores are a major stress factor in marriage, just as little things make all the difference in a friendship.

How often do we take “just a few seconds” that would cost us nothing to ease someone else’s path, hold a door, pick up something that was dropped, put something away, take our own dishes to the kitchen, or even actually help with the dishes occasionally?

Selfish people may give big gifts, but a selfless person serves all the time, cultivating a servant’s attitude in little things that take “just a few seconds,” or maybe even a minute or two.

If you want to learn unselfishness, find ways to give “just a few seconds.”  You might be amazed how much you can do that costs nothing (except your selfish attitude) but means a lot to someone else.  Those little things may not really change the workload much, but they show respect and appreciation for the person and their work.

You could even help put the pillows on the bed!

Matthew 20:27-28

27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.