The Tenderness We Forget

Tenderness. It's a small-sounding word, but it carries enormous weight in marriage. It's the touch on the shoulder for no reason, the message in the middle of the day saying you were thinking of him, the look that says "I see you" without needing words.

The rush of life keeps stealing tenderness away. The demands, the to-do lists, the kids, the work — and the couple grows efficient but cold. It works, but it doesn't warm. God invites us into something beyond efficiency: genuine kindness, mercy that holds no grudges, forgiveness that sets both of you free. And tenderness is how that shows up day to day. It doesn't have to be a grand gesture — sometimes it's a genuine smile when he walks in the door, asking "are you okay?" and waiting for the real answer. Small acts of tenderness are the oxygen of marriage.