We have received around 40 zucchinis and squashes over the summer from our garden.  My kitchen counter is covered.  My husband planted four small plants from four small seeds in spring.  I’m amazed how one little seed produces so much food. It’s a plant that keeps on giving and giving.

I like to make zucchini bread for my family and fry zucchini slices for a side dish.  But my very favorite thing to make is spaghetti zucchini with a spiralizer!!!

There are different kinds of spiralizers.  I know about two.  One is a cheap plastic hand spiralizer and the other is an attachment that is used on an electric kitchen aid.

I went with the cheap hand one.

My husband wasn’t o.k. with my decision and so he surprised me with the electric one.  It’s an awesome tool.  It makes more spaghetti in a few minutes then the hand one makes in thirty minutes.

My husband likes to surprise me with helpful gifts.   He saw an opportunity to make life easier for me and he bought me something that will get the job done more efficiently.

I’m touched by his thoughtfulness.

His actions are very loving and his attitude warms my heart.

He goes the extra mile for me when I’m in a bind.  I was making squash soup with our blender and in the middle of my work the motor dies.  I panicked.  I had huge plans and I needed this mean machine to get the job done.  It was not a good time for it to go out with a counter covered in overgrown squash and a refrigerator full of ripe tomatoes from our garden.  I had plans to make tomato soup too.

On this particular day I was busy cooking, homeschooling and cleaning.  My husband had his own important things going on too. But I complained to him anyway about our blender and without hesitation he took it back to get me a new one.

I could have done it.

I was stress, overwhelmed and needed help.

My husband was stressed too. But he put his own needs aside and put me first.

He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you Except to be just, and to love [and to diligently practice] kindness (compassion), And to walk humbly with your God [setting aside any overblown sense of importance or self-righteousness]?   Micah 6:8

I want to be more like my husband.  I want to go the extra mile for him.  Even when I’m tired and I feel like I’ve done enough.

When I look at God’s creation I see how the gift of giving unfolds.  Every planted seed creates fruit for more seeds to be planted.  The cycle continues over and over.  We all benefit from it.

We are planting seeds of love and kindness in our husband’s soul when we give them our attention, warmth, help, and respect.   In return this encourages him to serve with goodness and compassion.

But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, Galatians 5:22

Let’s keep on giving to our husbands even when we are tired.  God will give us strength to be faithful with our time, talents, and gifts.

I have discovered that God will show me what to give my husband each day when I seek Him before my day begins.  He doesn’t give me too much to do and I get plenty of rest when I follow His lead.

So just when you start to think you have done enough…  Keep on giving as God leads.