Stand By Your Man - Part Two

The day had been long, the temperature gauge outside read well over 100°, it was after dinner time and I had forgotten that making a meal was now my responsibility alone. We were surrounded by boxes, gift wrap, tape, packing paper and a whole ton of dust and neither of us was in too cheery of a mood.

As I pulled out little knick knack after little knick knack from my cedar hope chest, I realized that I’d packed a few too many odds and ends that I wouldn’t later know what to do with. I’d forgotten about many of them, and had no idea what some of the others were for.

John picked up a little icy blue glass container of some sort, turned it in his hand and remarked that it was rather interesting looking, with the uneven sides, oddly curved dips in the outline. I nodded. I had no idea what it was or where it had come from, but it had sat in my room, filled with miscellaneous buttons, for a few years when I was younger. Then John asked if I wanted to keep it. I was terribly offended. Of course I did! It was mine, after all, and I was sure I could do something with it.

I told him, in a very hurt tone, that yes, I wanted the little blue glass… “thing”. He shrugged, set it back down on the floor, and said, “Okay. I didn’t mean anything by it. I just didn’t know what it was.” Then, in all my newly-married-wifely glory… I rolled my eyes at him, sighed loud and long, and turned quickly around to finish unpacking. My poor, new husband walked away slowly, now feeling like he obviously had no place in the unpacking of my hope chest, and headed for the garage.

Within the next few minutes, I found these two sheets of paper, with a title regarding respect and husbands. I remembered when I’d first read the article, and knew well what it was about. I started reading…about the importance of making our husband feel respected, revered, and oh-so-loved, because God made them with a very real need for these things, and they should be receiving the fulfillment of these needs first and foremost from their wives.

The author spoke of wives who have, over time, worn their husbands down to the point where they no longer have a desire to lead, because they know they will be ridiculed or questioned for taking any step left or right. These wives have taught their children that Daddy is just a big buffoon who knows little about real life and is a good target for jokes and poking fun. Their husbands are defeated, discouraged and feel like another one of the children, because their wives have pushed them down to that level. I saw my current attitude in some of the description and my heart hurt. I went out to the garage, put my arms around my beloved, new husband and asked him to forgive me. I did respect him, and wanted him to know it.

I wish I could say that was the last time in our short three years of marriage I’ve had to apologize for something similar. I am still stumbling, learning, and growing, day by day. But, due to the working power of Christ in my life, I can say that the excited greeting my husband receives when he comes home is just one small indication of how much he is loved and respected in his home.

Troy knows, as little as he is, that Daddy is our hero, and he believes it with all his heart. I know that Daddy isn’t perfect, just like Daddy knows the same thing about Mommy :smile:, but at this point, Troy sure doesn’t know it! My prayer daily is that I’ll model to our children the respect and love their Daddy deserves—just because God has made him their Daddy!—and that they will in turn love and respect their Heavenly Father, just as their Daddy does.

- by Ashleigh