Do you know your love language?

I listened to The Five Love Languages on tape on my way to my best friend's house when I was in college.  At that time, while understanding and appreciating the idea...I didn't really care.  In the last four or five years, I have begun to see the value in understanding someone's love language and operating within that. 

My husband's love language is acts of service.  When I started to realize how Troy's love tank was filled, I realized how infrequently I serve him in comparison to what he needed.  I also began to see the things he did as acts of love.  I felt more loved in return.  When he puts gas in my car, brings me a drink, or makes dinner...he is loving me.  The same is true of most relationships.  If you love people in their language or see their actions as expressions of their love language, relationships are enhanced.

My love language is quality time...for the most part.  I understand so much more about myself knowing that.  I have learned that I very much feel my love language.  Jason isn't even totally sure what his is; I can't even comprehend that.  I feel my love language very deeply.  I wear it like a coat.  If I haven't seen someone in awhile, I think they don't like me.  If someone bails on me, it hurts my feelings.  Absence does not make my heart grow fonder. 

I said for the most part because if I think about Troy...my love language is physical touch or words of affirmation.  I feel most loved by my husband when he holds my hand, touches by face, says he loves me or tells me I look beautiful...things like that.  I have wondered if that is a natural feeling or if it is based on our relational history.  We had a long distanced courtship and some other circumstances that make me wonder if I crave physical touch and sweet words based on those things.  I also wonder if maybe all of us want to be loved in all forms by the person we love most. 

Our church did a sermon series on The Five Love Languages a while back.  One of the most profound things I learned was that Jesus loved perfectly in all languages.  Of course, perfectly is how he does everything, but I never really considered how Jesus loved.  The sermon series showed Jesus perfectly loving those He came in contact with each love language.  Pretty profound.  He created us to give and receive love and gives us the perfect example of how to do that in every situation.