Have you ever stopped and realized that you might be sinning in the way you make a sandwich? Have you ever made a sandwich for someone else? Did you make it the same way you make it for yourself? When I make a sandwich, I grab two pieces of bread. If one is the crust, so be it -- I'm not prejudiced. I'll smear the mayonnaise onto the middle of each slice. Maybe a zigzag of mustard if I'm feeling spicy. Then I'll grab two pieces of lunchmeat. Press it all together and I'm done. Oftentimes, I only use one slice of baloney if it's cut thick. (Mom said to save some lunchmeat for tomorrow's sandwich.) When my wife (or Liam) asks me for a sandwich, I do it the same way. I treat her sandwich the same way I treat my own sandwich.

Many years ago, Connie asked me to make a sandwich for her, and being a decent husband, I obliged. I followed the same procedure for her sandwich that I did for mine. Doing unto other sandwiches that I would have done to mine. Upon her inspection of the sandwich I built, she noted that the mayonnaise did not go all the way to the crust. There was not enough lunchmeat to overpower the plain taste of the bread. Additionally, there was no lettuce, tomato, onion, or cheese. I didn't ask her how she wanted the sandwich and proceeded to make hers the way I made my own.

When Connie offers to make me a sandwich, she'll ask for a specific list of ingredients. "Do you want lettuce and tomato and cheese?" Well, if I were making my own sandwich, I'd forgo all those frivolous items and take a streamlined approach so that I might fill my stomach more quickly, despite the fact that those things make the sandwich a whole lot tastier. So I typically say, "No" to those extras: Also I take into account the amount of effort required to select the lettuce pieces, create one more piece of dirty cutlery to slice the tomato, unwrap a piece of cheese, and then wrap up all these food items so they can go back into the fridge. I attempt to make things simple for her, but in so doing, she can't show me her sandwich skills. My attitude really irritates her though because she actually ENJOYS making sandwiches for me.

Now -- until recently, I never gave this much thought. But I have realized that I am sinning when I make a sandwich for Connie. (Maybe that means I won't have to make them anymore?) See - I have always loved Connie's sandwich as much as I have loved my own sandwich. But Jesus tells me to love her sandwich as He would love her sandwich. (Jn. 13: 34, 35) How would Jesus make her sandwich? Jesus would not worry about running out of clean knives. He would slice the tomato anyway. He would hand select the crispiest lettuce, the finest provolone cheese. You get the point. He would put that extra ingredient of love into the sandwich. Although I personally don't need the love in sandwiches I make for myself, Connie deserves it.

So when I make a sandwich, I should put love into the sandwich. I should make the sandwich exactly how she wants it (or better). My love for Jesus and Jesus love for me should be seen in that sandwich!

Loving my wife's sandwich as I love my own, and obeying the second greatest commandment (Matt. 22:39) is no longer enough. We have a new commandment. I'm supposed to love her the way Jesus loved us. Jesus has boundless love for us so I should have boundless love for my wife (and others). (Jn. 13: 34, 35) So I ask God to forgive me for the lack of love I have been showing my wife and my lazy attitude in sandwich making.

Tom