Face Value

So Andy & I had a counseling session today. On our way in Andy revealed he had a slight headache. I instantly started falling all over the place in an attempt to make the evening easier on him by providing an "out" for our dinner plans. He assured me several times that dinner would be fine because the headache wasn't that bad. Finally he told me he really needs me to take him at face value. All of this was done in a good natured way and we were laughing about it, but it sure did start me thinking. Why didn't I take him at his word? This has been an ongoing issue in our marriage and it really needs to change.

Later, Beth called. I told her about 'face value' but it came out with a bit of a lisp and I had an epiphany. To take someone at face value is to take them at faith value! You are probably going to think that is silly. Permit me to elaborate. If a person says something and we unconditionally accept what they say, we are exhibiting faith in that person's words & ultimately in them. This act of faith has a two fold positive effect: it makes the other person feel good because of the trust we place in them, and it makes us feel good because it removes doubt & suspicion. Thus, taking a person at face value is an act of love.

Believing a person's words is also a show of trust. How can we have a strong and healthy relationship with anyone if we cannot trust them? That's right my dear ones - we can't! Without trust we have nothing. To trust someone is to have faith in them. To have faith in them is to believe what they say. To believe what they say is to take them at face value. All of this is a powerful way to demonstrate unconditional love.

We all want that, don't we?