“You’ve got a good one there.”

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       After a long afternoon in an old, worn building aptly named The Laundromat, a small older lady who I’d never met whispered these sweet words in my ear. I followed her nod to the counter where my husband was exchanging bills for quarters. I smiled. She was right- the man across the room was a good one- and I didn’t deserve him.
        Earlier that day, you could’ve found me scowling in the passenger seat of our car, making our way across town to do laundry. I didn’t want to go. I had my own washing machine. I had my own dryer. But we weren’t bringing our clothes- just a bag full of change. As part of a Sunday school outreach, Loads of Love, we went to pay for washing and drying cycles, to meet people, and to love them. The idea of walking up to strangers makes me uncomfortable. I am very much “to myself” and feel awkward in forced situations. For a moment I thought maybe if I acted like I was in a bad mood, then Travis would offer to go alone and I would be off the hook. He noticed, but never said a word. We pulled up to The Laundromat, he grabbed his Bible, and I followed him in like the child I was acting. My plan didn’t work, and now I had four hours to sit around and wait for people to walk near the machines in the corner where I sat, offer them quarters, and somehow engage them in conversation.
        Business was slow that day, and we waited several minutes before a customer came in. A tall, middle-aged man with a cloth hamper and family-sized bottle of detergent came in and put his clothes in front of the nearest washing machine. Travis walked straight to him.
                       “Hey, how are you? I would like to pay for your laundry today.”
        The man looked at Travis, paused for a moment, and asked, “Why?”
                       “I just want to show you the love of Christ.”
        The man obliged, took the quarters, and for the next hour sat in a broken orange chair and listened as my husband shared the Gospel with him.

Boom. Attitude changed.

        As difficult as it was for me to approach strangers, I could be confident that I was not doing it alone or under my own power. God prepares His servants for servanthood, as well as the hearts of those we serve.
        Not all of the conversations we had that day were as in-depth as that one. Some people just enjoyed having someone to talk with while their whites were spinning. But that afternoon, I loved people like Christ loves people, and my husband showed me how.

        Over the last two years my relationship with my husband has strengthened my relationship with Christ. He has exemplified what marriage should- Christ’s love for the Church, His bride. He is my live-in accountability partner, my prayer warrior, my best friend.

Who in your life makes you better?