wedding images courtesy of Kerry Brooks Photography

http://www.kerrybrooksphotography.com

Eight years, 3 children, a dog, 3 towns, 1 deployment. Yesterday was my birthday, tomorrow our anniversary. I would say we are in our best year yet, and I’m so thankful that God has brought us to this place! Tonight, as we were spending time together in his workshop, God was teaching me. You ready??

My husband is an amazing craftsman. He has great attention to detail and creates beautiful pieces. Some things he researches what others have done and creates his own plan to meet the projects needs or just dreams up, sketches and builds. Tonight, he called me to come see the table he has built for his Big Green Egg. People, I didn’t know such a functional piece could be so pretty! He asked if I would like to help stain it.

I said yes.

You see, my husband’s hobby is woodworking. He thoroughly enjoys it. He takes our girls to his workshop and lets them build things (and they LOVE it!). Tonight at 9 pm with laundry and dishes to be finished, I could have easily said “No.”, but it was such a blessing to work along side him to finish up something he had made. I was being his help-mate. The role God gave us as wives is so much more than housework, child raising and sex. We are supposed to be our husbands best friend. He is supposed to come second only to the God we serve whole-heartedly (and if you are not in that place in your relationship with God, submitting to and loving your still in the flesh husband as your second priority will be daunting).

Genesis 2:18 says:

“Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.

I will make a helper who is just right for him.”

You were made “just right” to be your husbands helper, to be his mate. We bond with girl friends over things that we have in common. Our husbands are not women! We are going to have to study our man. To join him in the activities that we may not initially find appealing, but go along because we love him. And we love Jesus. I don’t follow Rob out to his workshop every single time he goes (not by a long shot!) but I do my best to come and see his work when he asks. I don’t get upset with him for working outside for a few days on his project. I embrace it as part of who he is, and I find ways to be a part of his thing. I had a blast staining wood tonight because I was alongside my husband, admiring his work. My feet and legs are a little splotchy. No, I didn’t botch self tanner. But I don’t mind the stains (seriously, they wont come off!).

I want to encourage you to study your man, take time to just be together and talk about things other than the children, schedule and your hectic life. Talk dreams, matters of the heart, etc. And the other biggie is this: find women who you see loving and honoring their husbands. It’s pretty evident who these women are. Spend time in their presence– you will be blessed as you learn from them!

To end today, I want to leave you with a song I heard for the first time at my cousin’s wedding. LOVE it! This is John Waller’s The Marriage prayer.

I love you Rob! Here’s to 80 more years!