Page 142 - The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts

After years of research, I have realized what a unique
situation Mark and Mary presented me. Seldom do I meet a
couple who both have the same love language. For both
Mark and Mary, “acts of service” was their primary love
language. Hundreds of individuals can identify with either
Mark or Mary and acknowledge that the primary way that
they feel loved is by acts of service on the part of their
spouse. Putting away shoes, changing a baby’s diaper,
washing dishes or a car, vacuuming, or mowing speaks
volumes to the individual whose primary love language is
acts of service.
You may be wondering, If Mark and Mary had the
same primary love language, why were they having so
much difficulty? The answer lies in the fact that they were
speaking different dialects. They were doing things for
each other but not the most important things. When they
were forced to think concretely, they easily identified their
specific dialects. For Mary it was washing the car,
changing the baby’s diaper, vacuuming the floor, and
mowing the grass, whereas for Mark it was making up the
bed, washing the baby’s face, putting the shoes in the
closet, and having supper underway when he got home
from work. When they started speaking the right dialects,
their love tanks began to fill. Since acts of service was their
primary love language, learning each other’s specific
dialect was relatively easy for them.
Before we leave Mark and Mary, I would like to make