Hi, you wonderful mommas! I hope you all had a great weekend and a wonderful start to a new week.
D-Daddy wrestling with Kinsey, Truman, & Kade!
R-E-S-P-E-C-T!
D-Daddy and I spent 3 1/2 days in the Dallas metroplex with our daughter and her family. With four kids ages 6 to 13, their daddy unveiling his new business at the Dallas market, a birthday celebration,
soccer, football, volleyball, & baseball games, it was a whirlwind weekend! Makes me tired to think
about it and all that we packed into such a short time. There were some really sweet moments---ones
we will forever cherish. After hugs, hugs, and more hugs, those sweeties pleading with us not to
go,and even some shed tears, the time came that we had to head home. Emblazoned in our minds is
a picture of all four kids and their momma running after us down the sidewalk as we drove away! We
marveled at God's grace and unmerited favor, that He has blessed us with such a precious family in our
four birth kids, four in-love kids, and 13 grand kids. And they actually seem to like to spend time with
these two old gray-haired people! The incredible thing is that it so easily could have turned out
differently. We experienced some long, hard years and had it not been for the grace of God, we could
have easily lost our marriage and consequently not been blessed to enjoy this wonderful family He has
given us, which brings me to the message of this blog.
I asked you to read scriptures in the last blog, but just in case you didn't get to they are as follows:
Genesis 2:18; 21-25 which tells us that marriage was ordained and instituted by God, one man,
one woman, created from man's rib. Hebrews 13:4 says that, "Marriage is honorable among all,
and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge." Matthew 19:6 "So, they are
therefore not two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."
The last blog established that kids should not come before God and the marriage relationship and
that knowing Mom and Dad love one another creates more stable, secure kids. Let's look at some
other vital aspects. The three previous verses speak to the creation of man and woman, the
ordination of marriage, and the permanency of marriage according to God. I know how hard
marriage is, and I know there are some of you who are in very difficult situations. I just want to
give you some hope. There is nothing that is impossible for God; the same power that raised Jesus
from the dead is the same power that can raise dead marriages from the dead! From personal
experience, I can tell you that with God ALL things are possible. In His Word, God clearly lays out
the order of marriage and the relationship between man and wife, and if followed they will lead to
success and happiness if both parties work toward the same goal. Sometimes, it takes one or the
other to step out and begin doing the right thing long before the other one gets on board.
Ephesians5:21-33 speak very strongly to the order of marriage. Submission, one to another,
is a very important key in the relationship; one not lording over the other, but basically, esteeming
the other as better than oneself. I am going to leave the husband's responsibility alone, because I
am talking to women and the last thing we should do is focus on what he should do, rather than
what we should do.
Let me give a little testimony to illustrate just how powerful God's word and the Holy Spirit are.
When Larry and I had been married about 10 years and had three kids at that point, we had a stinky,
knock-down drag-out----an ugly "fight"! I stormed off bawling to my bathroom and perched myself
on the edge of the tub screaming my woes to God. "Why don't You change him?" was my biggest
complaint and gripe. In the midst of my fit throwing and crying to God, suddenly I "heard", "And
let the wife see that she respects her husband." What???? RESPECT???? Where did THAT come
from?
I had never heard or read those words before, but there they were, being spoken into the
ears of my heart and spirit! Well, let me tell you, my tears of anger and self-pity immediately turned
to broken repentance. I knew the words were from God, telling me that I didn't respect my husband.
Even though I felt at that moment that I didn't want to respect him, I knew my sin was not only
against my husband, but worst of all, against God. I cried out for cleansing and a change of heart
and that is exactly what my God did! Right then and there He performed heart surgery on me and let
me begin to see my husband through HIS eyes rather than my own. And let me tell you, he looked
quite a bit better than what I had been focusing on! Although that moment was life changing, it
wasn't instant daisies and daffodils. Slowly but surely, He began changing my attitude toward Larry
and our marriage, and I began a quest to learn how to be the wife God had called me to be. It wasn't
my idea, but God's. Ephesians 5:33 says, "Nevertheless, let each one of you in particular so love his
own wife as himself, and LET THE WIFE SEE THAT SHE RESPECTS HER HUSBAND." I know
without a doubt, that encounter with the Lord on the side of my bathtub saved our marriage from
destruction. Girls, satan does not want your marriage to succeed---he is after total destruction and
failure in your family and he will use whatever means he can to destroy it. God got through to me
that day and convicted me of my sin in the relationship. It didn't relieve Larry of his responsibility to
be the man and husband God called him to be, but as I continued to turn to God to meet my needs
and change me, He began to change Larry. The result is 43 years of a precious God-blessed
marriage. If we had continued down our paths of self-centered, selfish demands on one another, we
would have not made it as a family. We wouldn't be sharing the joy of watching our kids grow in
their relationships with God and their spouses, nor having our socks knocked off by the joy of 13
wonderful grand kids! To God be the glory!
I know that many of you are facing seemingly impossible situations in your marriages, and I want
you to know that I have the deepest compassion for you, because I understand. As I said before, I
want to give you hope again---with God, all things are possible and nothing is too hard for Him! So,
where do you start? Start with the basics. Instead of praying, "Lord, change him", pray, "Lord,
change me," and be willing to change as He shows you the areas that He is working on. Lay your
husband at HIS feet and let HIM take him from there and do with him as HE sees fit, HIS way, not
YOURS! The end result will be better than you could have ever imagined!
You are not in this alone. I am praying for you as you seek to be the woman God has called you to
be! He sees you, He knows, you, and He loves you, and He is with you ALWAYS!!
No comments:
Post a Comment