Busy couples. Are you and your spouse busy? If I were calling out that category in a room full of couples, would you raise your hand?
Even if you belong in the “busy couples group” you can still add value to others. You and your spouse can have an impact greater than the two of you – you can make a difference and it doesn’t need to take hours and hours.
10 Ways Busy Couples Can Encourage Others
Your marriage – your relationship as husband and wife – can bless others. Here are 10 quick and fun ways to add value to others even if you’re one of those busy couples.
Play & Pray with Someone – Think of 2 or 3 people – they could be seniors in your church, or single moms/dads, or even friends you haven’t seen in a while. Maybe you don’t have hours to spend with these precious people, but as one of those busy couples you can spend 20 minutes doing this activity! Give these 2 people a quick call and ask, “Are you home tonight? Can we drop by for 15 minutes?” If you get a positive response, then grab your UNO cards and drive/walk to their home. Play one game of UNO (yes, just one), and then ask if there’s something you can pray with that person about. Pray together. And leave. 🙂 Simple and quick. You’ll get astonished laughter, and they’ll want you to stay longer… but don’t. Just Play and Pray. Carry on to the next person. You and your spouse will be energized, and those you visit won’t quite know what happened, but boy-oh-boy will they talk about it for a long time. 
Donate 20 Items to a Food Pantry – Together! Set a budget, and shop for 20 non-perishable food items at your local grocery store, or even online. Take turns choosing the item – have a conversation about the food you’re choosing and why. Then drop your purchases off at a local Food Pantry or Soup Kitchen that day or later. You don’t need to wait for Thanksgiving, or a special holiday to make a difference in your local community or church… today works!
Penny a Plenty – Use a jar to collect your pennies – and dimes, nickles and quarters if you choose – from your pockets, car and purchases for a month. Then early one morning go for a walk together (or late evening) and leave heads’ up pennies (or any change) on the sidewalk every so often… It’s a treasure for others to find, and give someone a smile.
Popcorn Surprise – Buy 2 boxes of microwave popcorn. Open the boxes and attach a note saying “This popcorn is a Random Act of Kindness from us to you – Enjoy!” to each packet. Grab a roll of packing/painters tape, and map out your local RedBox machines (There’s an app for that.) Tape one or more to each RedBox.
Roses by the Dozen – Buy a dozen roses (or 2 dozen), and go to a shopping mall parking lot. Give a rose to older ladies and moms with kids. How many people rarely receive a rose? Too many. You can make a difference in the life of a young mom who is struggling to parent, or bring warmth to the heart of an older person. It’ll take all of an hour…
Dessert Delight – When you’re out at your favorite restaurant, choose a family or another couple, and send over dessert(s) to their table. Tell your server that you want to keep your identity a secret. It’s a simple act, but powerful.
School Supplies – Set a budget. Go together to your local Target or Walmart or order online, and buy a bunch of school supplies. Crayons, pencils and pens, notebooks, stickers and glue… let your imagination wander. Pick the items you loved as a kid. Talk with your spouse about your school memories… When you have them collected, go together to deliver them to a local school. If you already know a teacher, then arrange to take the supplies to his/her classroom. Even as a busy couple, you can provide for your community and make a student’s life and a teacher’s day better.
Sticky Note Encouragement – Write notes of encouragement on 3M post-it notes at home. Then take a trip to the library and put them into library books to cheer the hearts of the next reader. Choose the books you leave notes in carefully – match the note to the sentiment of the book. You might be one of those busy couples, but you can come up with encouragement… right? Say thing like: “I hope this book makes you smile.” “We hope you have a great weekend.” “We’re praying you find joy in what you’re reading.”
Candy Bar Care – You’re one of those busy couples, right? I imagine you meet with many people who give you a hand, or make your life easier, but you might not have a chance to say “thank you”. Here’s your chance! Make a list – together – of all the people you see regularly, or those you might not see, but do you a service. Think of your mail carrier, your pharmacist, vet, dry cleaner, grocery store clerk, church secretary, toll booth operator, barrista, trash collectors, (you get the idea). If you’re having trouble making this list, then mentally go through your day/week, and consider everyone you meet on a regular basis… Now purchase candy bars, attach a note of “thank you”. If you can, deliver them together. If it’s not possible to deliver them together, divide the candy bars, and text your spouse each time you drop off one…
All these ideas would make great Date Night activities.
Use your time together to bless others, and let your marriage – your 2 into 1 – make a difference!
Enrich your marriage – husbands and wives leading meaningful lives. – Just some quick ways to encourage others… together!
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