Friday, June 17, 2011

My Husband Rocks! (And Yours Does too)

I've been waiting to write a post for a while in honor of my husband.  This contest finally gave me a good excuse.



Society has a lot to say about husbands and fathers.   Television shows and commercials practically scream that men are:

"Fat! Lazy! Insensitive! Stupid! Foolish!" 

Even father's day cards tend to have an abundance of jokes about remote controls, easy chairs, and beer, but little mention of how wonderful our dad's or husbands actually are.  The fact of the matter, is that most men (those who are abusive to themselves or others excluded) are fabulous and will rise to the occasion if their wives would just give them the opportunity, but unfortunately despite the wonderful things feminism may have brought our society, (equal pay, the right to vote, hmmmm.... maybe that's it) it came at the price of women trying to take on the role of men. 

Instead of allowing  our husbands the chance to be the men God designed them to be, we step in. Society has told us we can do those "boy things" just as well if not better (much better than the sitcom dad).

I wish I could say that in the course of my marriage I always let my husband lead, and I willingly followed, but the fact of the matter is I, like most women, tended to act independently.  Praise God, there was a true turning point in our marriage.

I agonized over the decision to return to work after having our first child before I even considered asking my husband what he thought.  I couldn't decide on my own, which was probably the only reason why I sought his input.  I went back and forth in my mind, I even left on my maternity leave without informing the company of my intentions because I truly didn't know what I wanted.  When I asked him if I should return to work his answer was simple, "No."


"No?!" Didn't he realize I was making more money than him?  Didn't he realize my earning potential was greater than his? Didn't he realize it was a job that I truly enjoyed?

He did realize those things, but he also realized it was his responsibility to provide for our family, not mine. He realized I would do a much better job running our home than he ever would.  He realized there were things I could provide our children that he couldn't.  He also had the faith that despite the numbers we were looking at, that me staying home was the right thing to do and God would honor that.

I'm truly glad I allowed my husband to make that decision, if he hadn't I'd probably still be sitting with pen in hand debating about writing a letter of resignation.

God designed our men to bear burdens we women never would.  He designed them to fight battles we would never need to face.  He designed them to lead in faith when ours is too weak.  Even if we do not recognize the strength our men must show on a daily basis, they're showing it.  It's easy to focus on our husband's faults,  to celebrate his  God given masculinity, is difficult; but our men so deserve it.

Our husbands deserve our thanks and praise for all that they do.  They deserve us to overlook the socks strewn about or the peanut butter knives left in the sink.  They deserve our hugs, affection, and most of all respect.

I truly believe most husbands "rock" and I've tried to avoid specific examples about why mine does because I don't want another woman to read this and sigh wistfully wishing their husband was as wonderful as mine (and he is wonderful).  However since it is father's day this weekend I'll close with an example of how my husband shows me love.  

 Scriptures make it pretty clear that a husband is supposed to lead, but it is also clear he is supposed to love his wife as well.  The following example has nothing to do with his leadership, just an act of love for me and our children.

I've been nursing and/or pregnant for almost our entire marriage.  I haven't felt myself in almost 4 years.  I've been tired beyond belief, If I don't get 9 or ten hours of sleep I'm literally non-functioning the next day.  Despite the fact that my husband stays up late trying to complete his schooling for ordination, despite the fact he needs to get up early the next day, he is the one to get up and help one of our children in the middle of the night if they're crying (and a night almost never passes when they don't).  He doesn't need to be the one doing this, but he does. He does it for me, he does it for them.  He does it because he loves us and despite the fact God has designed him to be a leader, he is serving us as well.

In my eyes my husband is a knight in shining armor, daily slaying dragons for our family.  The fact of the matter is, if I allowed the world to influence my thoughts on this wonderful man I might not feel the same way.  So much of our life if just simple perception.  I choose to perceive my husband the way God does: a man who is saved by God's grace; who is trying his best to lead and love; who is trying to follow after God with all his heart; and who truly desires what is best for his family.

Happy Father's Day to A Husband who Rocks!

4 comments:

  1. Written so well and so true.
    I believe that woman having a job/career outside of the home that makes them equal or superior to their husband puts the marriage and the family on shaky ground.
    The divorce statistics as they are now compared to what they were 30 years ago is staggering.
    Husband and I have been married 39 years.I mostly was a "stay at home " mom , having tried to take on part time jobs now and then but our family life suffered.
    God gave the man the strength and perseverance to endure... He gave woman the instincts to mother and protect her family.
    It is this way in most of His creations.
    Following God is always following "right".

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  2. Very well put, doesn't it seem so easy to follow but, so difficult in reality? May we continue to pray for grace in the area of submission and delight in following our leaders :)! Thanks for linking up at Unwasted Homemaking!

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  3. Love this. I too have a husband that ROCKS!! He works long hard days and still is able to play with his little girls. He supports me in my role of motherhood and homemaker and helps to keep my life easier. It's such a blessing!
    Thanks for writing a great testimant to how husbands and fathers can be!

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  4. Bless your husband! You are blessed to be able to stay home with your children. I think it's awesome that you are aware that your husband rocks. I see too many young mothers who never acknowledge the goodness of their husbands. You're a breath of fresh air!

    Blessings,
    Pamela

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Please be kind when commenting, I don't mind differing views but all mean spirited and hateful comments get the ax!