thinking about phileo love. . .

Getting back to Titus 2:3-5. . .Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney is an excellent book; recently over coffee, Francey and I discussed chapter 2, The Delight of Loving My Husband.
So, wives are instructed to love their husbands. . .the Greek word for love in Titus 2:4 is phileo- a tender, affectionate kind of love, a love which emphasises enjoyment.
Francey and I discussed how we honor the gospel by cultivating this tender affection for our husbands- we concurred that it's often hard, that our sin errodes our best efforts. . .and that God is faithful to remind us, Keep your heart with all diligence (Prov 4:23)
So, what does phileo love look like in marriage? Francy had some great practical examples (and she's only been married 3 years!)

Then she asked me. . .

Hmmm. . .well, it's like this: when I push my cart down the baking aisle at the grocery store, I purpose to reach the top shelf and pluck off a can of Hershey's 100% cocoa-John's favorite for making hot chocolate-mud, we affectionately call his special concoction-a heaping tablespoon of cocoa, a little brown sugar, mixed with milk, very rich and chocolatey. (He would tell our toddlers that it made their eyes twinkle. . .) You see, John rarely reminds me that his 100% Hershey's is running low, and I, myself, would rarely buy it, unless planning to make chocolate stout cake or chocolate cream pie.

. . .this is just a very small thing, hardly noticeable-however I've discovered that the simplest demonstrations of phileo love in marriage are often the sweetest.