THANKSGIVING: PART SIX

I cannot believe I am about to write a blog about my wife with the title being "Thanksgiving." But as I sat here, trying to think about something specific for which I am thankful, the Lord kept bringing Judy to my mind. Those of you who know us well, probably can't wait to see what I will say; neither can I. Who "woulda thunk it," right? We have been married for forty-eight years, and my favorite joke about our marriage has been, "I could have killed a dozen people and served less time than this." Now, sitting here at the keyboard, that just doesn't seem all that funny anymore.

God's Word says many things about the husband/wife relationship, but I have not always been mature enough to apply them to my situation. In fact, being a negative person at heart, I would read them, and then think, "Oh, if only my wife were like that." I am sure, by the way, that she has the same thought when she reads what the Bible says about the husband. You see, she is the one who got the "short end of the deal" when she married me. It has just taken me a very long time to realize it and regain the feelings I had for her the day I married her. And that is totally my fault.

Genesis 2:18 says to me that God, recognizing man needed help, made him a mate, a wife as a helper meet or fit to "complete" him. And therein lies the problem. I have always viewed our marriage as if I were the one Judy needed to be complete. I had to be the provider, the protector, the "rock" in our family. But I am beginning to recognize the Word is true, and my perceptions are nothing more than delusions. Judy is the person who keeps in check the impulsive, quick to act and slow to think man that I am.

Recently, I had decided to refinance our mortgage because the interest rates are about half what we have now. Judy was not sure about it, and was hesitant to "cooperate." I was so angry. Finally, I said I would make an appointment with a banker friend of ours to resolve the issue. He showed her the wisdom in making the move, and from that time on, she has been fine with it. That got me to thinking; throughout our marriage, she has been the person who needed convincing before we acted. God uses her to slow me down. She makes me reevaluate before I jump into whatever looks like a "no-brainer."

She has done the same thing when it comes to challenging the behavior of family members. Her example of praying for them instead of "correcting" them, has brought me under conviction. Her reluctance to discuss their seemingly never ending stream of sinful choices, has angered me, but in the end, it has made me realize my intervention is not the solution. They know what God's Word says, and all I can do is pray for them. She is so wise, and far more Christlike than I.

So today, I want to say that I thank God for giving me my wife. She has tolerated my immaturity, rage, and impulsiveness, and the longer I live, the more the Lord has revealed how she is exactly what I need to keep me in line. God knows what He is doing! Praise Him!