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Loving by Anticipating
Ronald P. Hutchcraft

When you travel a lot, you eat in restaurants a lot. And so I've seen my share of waiters and waitresses - some who do a good job, some whose service leaves something to be desired, and a few who are outstanding at what they do. You try to say a special thank you with a special tip for that kind of server, right? One example of stellar service: those servers who check regularly to see if you need more water, without being asked for it; who automatically check to see if you want ketchup or steak sauce or more bread or more anything. It just feels good when someone cares enough to anticipate what you need.

If anticipating your needs means something in a restaurant, imagine how much it means in a marriage! Actually I saw some married friends in a local restaurant recently, friends who have been married a long time. Based on some things he had said, I made this observation, "These sound like the best years you've ever had together." He smiled broadly and he said, "Yes, because after forty years, I'm learning not just to meet her needs, but to anticipate her needs!"

That's husbanding in keeping with what Jesus called the second greatest commandment of all - what James calls the "royal law" in James 2:8, our word for today from the Word of God. He writes, "If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, 'Love your neighbor as yourself,' you are doing right." We know how we love ourselves. We're really good at that. We think ahead about our needs and we make sure we have a plan for taking care of those needs. Jesus teaches us to think that way about others.

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