the submissive husband

I've already established that women are invited to submit to their husbands, while their trust is placed in God and it will be God that cares for them.  (See post not just a submissive girl).  I see the higher purpose and how faithful God is when we honorably submit to God's care and plan for our lives.  So if we're the submissive ones, men are the leaders, right?  It doesn't say anything about men being submissive, does it?

Guess what?  It actually does.  The Bible is not shy with examples of Christ submitting to His Father.

For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.  John 6:38

My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.  Matthew 26:39

When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.  1 Corinthians 15:28

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:  Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather he made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death - even death on a cross!  Philippians 2:5-8.  

And if men are somehow to treat the women as Christ treats the church they would be required to serve and submit.  Men are to submit to Christ just as Christ submitted to God.

But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ... and the head of Christ is God.  1 Corinthians 11:3

So the words, "Husbands submit to Christ" are not written in ink but how can anyone miss Christ's example of submission to His Father and servitude towards His church?  If men are to love their wives as Christ loves the church (Eph 5:25), then by definition of Christ's character, they are to be submissive, otherwise they do not represent Christ and they are held accountable by God.  And that is a tough place to be!

As I reflected on this concept, I realized that this submission concept is not some silly thing imposed on women to reduce us or belittle us or "keep us in our place."  This is not just a random unattainable command designed to frustrate relationships and add tension to already unmet expectations.  This is the design of the heavenly realm.  And women are invited to set the example, not to be robots without a voice.  Their voice of submission is for the sake of the man, who will find it entirely more challenging to be a submissive type since he sometimes wants to rule the world.  Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives. 1 Peter 3:1.  I swear this is the first time I have ever understood the depth of this verse.  To win someone over without words is the definition of setting an example.

Women are invited to set the example because we're so awesome and if anyone can turn the heads of men, it'll be us, right?  Wow, what a sacred task we've been assigned.

But women will complain: men are so stuck in their ways, and so close-minded, and so independent and so stubborn and... and they do not treat their wives as Christ treats the church...

Yeah, all those things are just excuses to not trust God and be faithful to Him.

"Did God really say that you couldn't eat from all the trees?"  (Gen 3:1)  The original temptation the enemy used to invite Eve to question God's real intentions.  And today we ask, "Did God really say that we have to submit to our husbands?  We should look at it in context.  Maybe study it from the perspective of the Biblical societal norms and whatnot.  It doesn't mean the same thing today."

But I beg to differ.  It is the same thing and it is more relevant, today, than it has ever been.  We have been fighting God's design for centuries now, and as a result, have set poor examples for the men whose accountability to God bears such grave consequences.  As women, we are tasked with a sacred assignment and everyone will agree that it's no easy assignment.  But God places His faith in our love for Him as we place ours in Him.  He invites us to obey and trust and He richly rewards those who do so.

Men, submit to God as your wives submit to Him also.  That means that when you're lost you ask Him for directions, when you're wounded, you cry out to God, when you're angry, you seek His patience and peace.  You are not the king of your castle unless God is the King of your heart.

You can march around, all tough and strong, and command obedience, but unless you have the King's blood running through your veins, you are only an imposter and royalty is not in you.

So this concept of submission in this earthly union, that is somehow supposed to represent something heavenly, is shining a rather large light on the original sin and how we, as advocates for Christ, can testify to God's faithfulness and fairness.

And when I say "original sin," I'm not referring to the one that Eve committed, but to the one that Lucifer engineered in the heavenly realms before the creation of our earth.

God's design of authority, for the sake of caring for His created beings, was challenged by one of those created beings.  Lucifer wanted to be like God and said, I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.  I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.  Isaiah 14:13-14.

But for him to challenge God's authority on that level would disrupt God's design to care for and protect everything He'd created.  It'd be like my soup wanting to be the chef.  I know, that's a silly analogy.  Because how could something I created with my own hands, suddenly try to assume the position of creator that I possess?  The absurdity of that attempt is almost laughable because the soup is inanimate and does not posses the ability to create or assemble ingredients.  And yet when Lucifer tried to do it, it was no laughing matter at all.

He decided that equality with God was something to be desired and it became his lofty goal.  He was dismissed from heaven and bound to an earth that he could rule.  Rulership is what he'd always wanted and now he got it.  But to win the hearts of God's creation with his authority would never happen.  We are created in the image of God and we have His spirit in our hearts and that spirit fights to the death to stay faithful to Him.  When Satan decided he could use deceit to lead God's people away from Him, I imagine he laughed sadistically and spat, "See how easy it is?"  He knew there was a plan of redemption for God's children but he couldn't wrap his head around how God would accomplish that, successfully.  He could not have grasped the possibility of God reducing Himself for the sake of man.  He was unable to comprehend that level of love because the creation of sin was found in him.  (Read Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 to gain a fuller understanding of Satan's downfall).  But Jesus blew him away when He illustrated how equality with God was not something to aim for, but made Himself nothing.

I don't think the world accurately comprehends the staggering sacrifice that Jesus made; the tragedy that hit all of the heavenly home when He stepped down for our sake.  Greater love is incomprehensible.  He did the exact opposite of Satan.  Where Satan wanted to rise to be equal to God, Jesus stepped down from His position of authority in the name of love.

Because that's what true love does.  It lays down its very life for those over whom they lead.  This truth applies to leaders of men:  Love lays down their life for those they lead.  Love does not assume authority and command "obedience or else."  Love sacrifices its very position of authority for the sake of Love.  Love is what draws us into obedience and servitude and submission; overwhelming love for the God who gave up everything to prove to the universe that His design was created out of Love and not out of a desire to control.

If that level of sacrifice doesn't hit you in the gut, and motivate you into worship, and prompt adoration for God, I don't know what to say.

This is our testimony.  This is our chance to prove to the universe and to all created beings that God IS love and His commands ARE just and His faithfulness IS true.

And for the record, no one said it would be easy.  Many women (and men) would consider submission to be an absolute challenge and utterly exhausting.  A suffering of significant proportion, really.  But that's okay, I think we've - many times over - established that suffering for the gospel is worthwhile.

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God.  2 Timothy 1:8



Oh, and don't forget that once we reach that Heavenly home, there will be no more marriage and we will all be like the angels (Mark 12:25, Matthew 22:30) and we will no longer submit to any human authority but to God alone.  He has invited us to be His example on this earth with a promise of an eternity of equality with other created beings.  Through love and acceptance of Jesus' sacrifice, I'm pretty sure we can handle the task of our earthly responsibilities.  After all, it's nothing compared to what Jesus did.

not just a submissive girl

I was thinking about Jesus' mother the other day when I was telling my kids the story of the birth.  I have read them the Christmas story many times, from many different books, but this time I just told them the story and we talked about it together.  As a result, many new realizations came to light. The thing that stood out the most for me was how trusting Mary seemed to be.  My kids and I discussed whether we would be capable of so much trust and faith and submissiveness.  I think we came to the conclusion that we probably might not be.

Mary accepted God's work without really giving it a lot of thought.  She didn't listen to what the angel said and then respond, "Okay, I hear what you're saying but I'm going to need to think about this for a while.  Can you give me a few days?"  She didn't stop to consider the rejection she would receive from the village because of a pregnancy out of wedlock.  She didn't stop to consider how this would affect her family and their standing in the community, or her future husband and how it would dishonor him.  She didn't stop to consider the fact that they were incredibly poor and wonder how they would ever fund an education for the King of the universe.  She didn't even stop to consider what the angel meant when he said Jesus would be the Savior of the world.  So many of the disciples needed so much instruction on understanding the purpose of the Messiah, so how would Mary, a young girl, have understood that?

I'll be honest, it doesn't sound like she gave this the appropriate amount of deliberation, but was rather submissive and compliant, instead. Is that why God chose her?  Is that why she was so highly favored?  Because she didn't put up a fight?  Maybe God knew, ahead of time, that she would be submissive and that's why He chose her.  But that can't be right.  God doesn't seem to make a habit of choosing the compliant ones.  When Sarah learned she was going to have Isaac, she laughed.  When Zechariah learned his wife would have John, he doubted.  When Jonah got the call to go to Nineveh, he refused. When Elijah was told to confront Jezebel, he ran away and hid.  When Moses was invited to speak for Israel, he claimed a speech impediment.  See?  God's people aren't always compliant and easy to work with.

Did Mary really understand all the ramifications of raising the Savior of the world?  I highly doubt it. She was young, inexperienced, and uneducated in the ways of the world.  She was a mere child. So then, why Mary?  Why did God choose her?  Was it just because she was a gentle, little girl that would be quick to submit?

Yes, I think that's it.

Now before you get all worked up, here me out.  Mary was submissive, she was compliant, she was willing to serve, to please, to be used.  I believe she was all those things because Mary understood something that so few of us actually understand.  She understood that serving the King of the Universe was an honor.  She may not have known what this life would hold for her.  She probably didn't consider all the struggles they would encounter.  She just knew that to serve the King was a privilege far greater than anything the world could offer.

I believe her submission was set to be an example for all women, for the remainder of earth's existence.  It was to be the spotlight that would shine on different periods of history in an effort to expose the deterioration of the woman's privilege.  Oh dear, it sounds like I'm saying that serving is a privilege and that the act of submitting is a thing to protect and work towards.  And this kind of talk is just nuts and shouldn't be spoken in this day and age of women's liberation and suffrage and all things feminist.  Equality for men and women is all the rage now.

And yet...when God created His people, He created them with the desire to serve Him.  They were placed in the garden to serve His creation, to care for it, to tend to it, to create families and continue to serve God by inviting their children to know Him and love Him too.

Our society has reduced the beauty of servitude to a position of lowliness and humiliation.  But Jesus - the Savior of the world and Creator of all people - tried desperately to restore His intention and stepped out against society's norms to serve His disciples and even wash their feet.  I don't think we can comprehend how offensive that was to so many of them.  It probably rattled them on levels we can't even grasp.  And what a bold thing to throw out at them right before the most horrific night of their lives?  But Jesus was desperate to reeducate them; His time was running out.

Jesus was eager to teach them that submission and servitude was a sacred privilege, not a burden.  A privilege motivated by extreme love and devotion.  I believe Mary knew this truth.  She knew what it meant to love God.  How?  I don't know because the Bible doesn't say anything about her upbringing.  But something about her heart was open and receptive to God's love and her desire to serve Him was evidenced in her response to the angel.  "I am the Lord's servant."  Luke 1:38.

If only....

If only women stopped fighting for equality...

If only they realized that the devil, himself, was physically kicked out of heaven because of his fight for equality with God...

If only they accepted that God arranged a hierarchy for a sacred purpose...

If only they embraced that purpose and set an example for their children when submitting to their husbands...

If only they could teach their children that women are not below the men, but instead they have a sacred purpose to reveal an eternal truth to all humanity and to the universe...

If only they trusted that their all-loving, all-caring Creator and Lover would be the ultimate authority and protector of their hearts and lives...

... then there would be many more Mary's in this world.  And God's message of love and redemption would have avenues through which to flow and reach a world filled with hurting people, and God's protection would be extended far wider than anything we could imagine.

I know, I know, the whole idea of submission to husbands is so upsetting and disturbing.  But has anyone stopped to consider why we're so offended by this?  Could it - maybe - have something to do with the enemy's design and his ability to distort all of God's instructions?  And if that's a possibility, doesn't this topic warrant careful study and prayer, rather than dismissal and indignation?  (of course, our distain for this idea is also directly related to the imperfection of the men, but let's not go there right now...).

I can tell you, with honesty, that I resisted the whole "submission" thing for many years in my marriage and it contributed, significantly, to the alienation of God at the center of my heart and home.  For the most part, I was pretty submissive.  People who don't know me well doubt that's true because I was so much more social and verbal than my ex who appeared so quiet and meek to them.  Truth is, when it came time to submit, I did.  I felt like I had no choice, and those who actually know me, know this to be true.  I didn't submit out of love or desire to serve.  I did it because I felt trapped.

And so performing the action of servitude without love is actually just rubbish and it leaves little room for God to work.  But when I studied and applied the concepts of submission and serving, a few years ago, I was amazed at how much more fulfilled I felt as a wife and daughter of God.  I had joy that was indescribable even though the brokenness of the marriage was coming into the light.  But I continued on, convinced that my joyful submission would enable God to step in, with a mighty hand, and restore the brokenness.  I was confident that all I needed to do was be a willing servant for God and He would set my path straight.  And I can testify that He did just that.

Many people have considered my divorce to be a failure on my part, and I understand how people see it because I, too, have unfairly judged others for "giving up" or failing.  But I stand in the confidence that it was only when I finally submitted all authority to my spouse that God was able to do His work.  By finally granting the ex all authority in the home, I was no longer standing in the way of God's hand.  He was free to expose whatever needed to be exposed.  And it was through my ex's response to that authority that the darkness was revealed.  God did step in with a mighty hand.  I am here, today, as a testimony of that.  Did things get set right like I hoped they would?  Well, not exactly as I hoped they would.  I actually desired a restoration of my marriage commitment. But did things get set right?  Yes, they did.  In a very unexpected way, they did.

And it saddens me to consider all the time I wasted fighting God; all the time I resisted His invitation to submit.  I thought I had to be the one to protect my children and my rights as a human being; those were the only things for which I fought.  I gave in to everything else, but my children and myself?  Those were tough things to give up especially when it was obvious, to intimate observers, that the actions of my ex were so wrong and so twisted.  And I thought that God was too distant, too uninvolved and that I needed to be the one to fight.  I fought in spirit, I fought on my knees, I fought in tears, but it was all a waste of my energy because He was standing there waiting for me to fall into His arms instead.  And I finally did when I was completely and utterly spent.  I could have saved myself so much heartache and pain if I had given up the fight earlier.  And had I waited another week or two to give up the fight?  I shudder to think of the possibilities.  All I will say is that God protected my life because I finally gave Him my life. 

My God is my husband, and any earthly man that would assume that position stands in God's shadow.  He is only a man and my loyalty and honor pass through him only to get to my God.  And he answers to God, alone.  Some men think that it's all roses and sunshine to find a woman who will be submissive to them, but do they take the time to consider that they represent Jesus to their wives?  And failure to do that, properly, would result in them sanding before God, the Judge?  Our job as wives is to submit to their authority, with blessed assurance that God will be the One that responds to our needs, and that's a breeze because we know God to be exceptionally faithful.  Plus we have Jesus as our advocate.  But men?  Oh, dear!  They have it way more challenging.  They need to serve their wives as Christ served His church.  And when I say "His church," I'm referring to that ragged group of imperfect, out-spoken, confused, misguided bunch of societal challenges.

Suddenly, being the submissive one doesn't sound like such a difficult job....

So, what is this greater, sacred purpose for which submission is to direct us?

What if... through this design, God is showing the universe that it IS possible for His people to serve Him out of intense love and that hierarchy is not something to despise?  What if the rest of the universe is waiting, with bated breath, to see if we will turn out like the devil and demand equality, or if we can find joy and peace and comfort and assurance in that design?  That is heaven's design after all.  The enemy tried to destroy it and reduce God and WE are given the sacred purpose of testifying to it's fairness and beauty.  And the only reason we resist is because men are rarely good examples of Christ.  What a weak excuse.  Where is our faith in God's design?  Where is our trust in His saving power?

I thank God for the example of Mary.  So many of God's servants were not quick to submit.  But when He selected a servant to carry His Son, to submit to His plan and raise the One that would restore the meaning of servitude, He chose someone that would embrace His message.  Well done, God.  Well done.

ah, public speaking...

This morning, my son told me that he's been having some bad dreams lately, where he is trying to run because there's something scary but his legs don't move and he has no voice. You know the kinds of dreams he's talking about.  We've probably all experienced them.  He wanted to know why he was having those dreams and what they meant.

We talked about it for a bit and then decided that it sounded like he was feeling trapped, without choices, and like he had no voice.  Although he couldn't identify anything in his life that might be prompting those feelings, I suggested that it may be related to the Christmas song I've asked him to sing for church at the end of this month.

He agreed, quickly, that he was very concerned about that... and he didn't want to be up front... and he was scared that people wouldn't like him... and he kept telling me that he didn't want to do it, but I just wouldn't listen.

But since this was his assignment for his music class, he really did have to do it.  He understood that but said that his biggest struggle was that he didn't like being in front of people.  And that it made him nervous.  In an effort to alleviate his anxiety, I assured him that many, many people are terrified of being in front of an audience, but that's not a good reason to hide.  The fact that people experience fear and nausea is because the enemy is throwing that at them. God didn't create us with fear; it is a product of this sinful world.  And for us to submit to that fear and say, "Oh, no way, I can't be in front of people; it paralyzes me," is giving the enemy authority over that area of your life.  And what God-loving follower of Jesus would want to give the enemy any level of authority in their lives, on purpose?

I have heard too many people submit to that kind of fear and suddenly all I can see now is the enemy keeping them bound.  And so if you suffer from that fear, I encourage you to bring it to Jesus because it's holding you back from being a blessing to His people.

I understand that some personalities are more reserved, more introverted, more quiet.  But that still doesn't seem like a good excuse, because guess what?  When Jesus chose His disciples, he didn't go to the Sanguine and Choleric convention to make his selection.  He chose those with hearts desiring truth.  I'm sure that there were all kinds of personalities represented in that haphazard, ragged group of imperfect followers.  But did you notice?  He sent ALL of them out to preach the good word.  At one point, he even sent out 72 of them.  And I doubt that they were all the kind of people who loved to speak in front of strangers and critical religious leaders and murderers and sinners.  They were people like you and me.  Maybe timid, maybe shy, maybe scared, maybe excited, who knows.  It doesn't matter.  Because they all did it.  They rejected the fears of the enemy and embraced the courage of Jesus to speak on His behalf for the salvation of His people.

During this discussion with my son, I realized that this singing assignment had a more practical and Christ-centered purpose.

My son enjoyed the story of the disciples that preached without fear and he identified with them saying, "Yeah!  I bet some of them didn't like to be up front either!"  But Jesus granted them the strength because they rejected what the enemy was offering and they asked God for help.  And in accepting God's help, they were able to be a blessing for others.  And my son's sweet little voice really is a blessing for others.

He decided to pray about it and ask God to remove the fear.  We both did.  Later that morning, I asked him to practice his song again.  He did so without complaint, but with confidence, instead.  He sang beautifully and the discomfort I had previously seen in him was all but gone.  I couldn't believe it.  It couldn't possibly be that easy, right?

There may be times when he and I will have to have this discussion again and we will need to continue to pray for courage.  In fact, he sang the song for the grandparents tonight.  We had a little bit of hesitation. But I reminded him of our conversation and he ended up doing such a beautiful job.  I'm so proud of him.  Hopefully the truths that he (and I) learned today will stay with him even after this experience is over.


--------------------

After Christmas Update:

As we continued preparing for the Christmas program, my son and I had to take his fears and discomfort to God a few more times.  He prayed.  I prayed.  We prayed together.  Then came the moment of truth:  The morning of his song, he admitted that he was actually kind of excited (but still a little scared).  But then he sang and it was done.  Afterwards he said to me, "That was really fun.  Can I do it again?  I actually really liked that!  Can you believe I'm saying this?"  My daughter, who generally revels in the spotlight (and who also sang, although without fear) said she wouldn't do it again unless she could sing with her brother to which he responded, "Sure Maci, I'll sing with you but I also really want to do it on my own again."

Wow!  I was seriously shocked!  For those of you who know my son and his more cautious and quiet approach to the world, you would understand how significant is his attitude shift.  Totally a God thing, you know?  So cool.   There he was, standing as cool as a cucumber, hands in his pockets (we'll address that later) and just singing his little song.  Just goes to show that God can grant even the introverts the joy to stand in front of others.

obstacles? what obstacles?

Some people believe that they can't take a step in a particular direction until they have everything lined up.  I heard one person tell me, once, that He could not give to others as God called him to give because he didn't have enough.  His response was so simple, "I'll give when I have enough."  What a foolish person he was to believe that any money he had belonged to him anyway.  But that's beside the point.  If God called him to give, trusting Him would not be the same as buying tickets to LegoLand with an empty bank account.  Since the call was from God, God would be the one to care for him.

As I was thinking about walking in God's direction, I remembered the story of Joshua and the Israelites, getting ready to cross the Jordan (Joshua 3).  I've always loved that story because they were preparing to cross the raging harvest river and didn't seem to have any qualms about it.  The Bible says that when their feet touched the edge of the water, the river suddenly opened up and provided them safe passage.

Did you catch that?  Their feet actually touched the water.  They were walking forward, without stopping.  It doesn't say that they waited on the bank of the river until the waters parted.  It clearly says that they were heading down towards the water.  But nowhere does it say that God told them ahead of time that He was going to part the rivers.  In fact, it says, When you reach the edge of the Jordan River, go into the water and stand there. (vs 8) And they were prepared to do it, too!

God is so wonderful, though.  He didn't wait until they were knee-deep in water before He provided a path.  He didn't require that kind of faith (as He required from Noah, sitting in a locked ark for 7 (!) long days before the first drop of water).   As soon as the Levite's toes touched the water, it was opened.

That's just incredible.  What faith those Levites had to step boldly onto a path that didn't even exist yet.  But the path was there, it was just covered by what they viewed as an obstacle - water.  But there are no obstacles for God, only opportunities to display His mighty love for us.

God is guiding.  Don't let apparent obstacles stand in your way of believing in possibilities.  Because God can erase the obstacles with just a whisper of His breath.

When you see [God's direction], you must move out from where you are and follow it.  Then you will know which way to go.  You have never gone this way before... Set yourselves apart to the Lord.  Tomorrow he'll do amazing things among you.  Joshua 3:3-5

the love of a Husband

I woke up this morning with Proverbs 31 whispering in my mind's ear.  I hadn't read Proverbs 31 (woman of noble character) in a while.  It was one of my favorite chapters when I was seeking God on how to be a better woman and wife to Him and to my earthly husband.  A few years ago, I studied it in different versions, read books and devotionals on it and tried to consider how I could apply the knowledge in my own life, and asked God to work in my heart to make me what He wanted me to be.  And He did.  He changed my heart and actions in amazing ways.   (Just to be clear, my divorce is not evidence of God's lack of diligence in this area but an example of how rampant evil can be in this world.)  Anyway, since it's been almost 2 years since I've actually experienced the love of a husband, this chapter has been left to collect dust in the deep recesses of my mind.

But this morning, it came to mind again and so I decided to reread it.  I guess I had forgotten that this passage was written to the king's son so that he might find a "virtuous" wife.  That wasn't so fun to read since I'm no one's wife, but I continued reading anyway.  Then verses started popping up about how the husband has full confidence in her and how her husband is respected at the city gates and how her husband praises her.  And suddenly I felt that this chapter had little value for me except to remind me of the losses in my life.  I wasn't sure why I even bothered to read it.  It appeared that the Proverbs 31 woman was really only complete when she was part of the marriage unit and that just made me feel worse.

I hmmphh-ed and prepared to close the Bible page.  But then something caught my eye.  Many women do noble things but you surpass them all. Prov 31:29.  I know, for a fact, that I do not "surpass" all women as far as nobility is concerned and I'm sure many will attest to that fact.  But I recognized something in the spirit of those words.  Something that filled my heart with warmth and put a smile on my face.

You are altogether beautiful, my love.  There is no flaw in you.  Song of Solomon 4:7

Those words in Song of Solomon were offered to me by my Savior when I was struggling during the last two years.  He shared those words with me not once, not twice, but many times.  But He didn't just whisper them in my heart.  It happened when I opened my iPhone Bible randomly, searching for anything that could offer me hope and assurance and those were the words that showed up a few times.  After that, they were whispered over and over when I needed assurance of Jesus' love for me.

Now, I'm not foolish enough to believe I don't have flaws.  But the way that God looks at me makes me feel like I'm somehow perfect, everything He'd ever wished for.  That is what Love does and what Love is.  It gazes upon me as if I am absolute perfection.  True Love is blind to my shortcomings because true Love knows who I really am and how I was made in the image of Love.

Once I realized that the husband in the passage was God, and not an earthly husband, I reread it with confidence, remembering that I did have an opportunity to be complete.  All my work and the effort of my hands are for my Husband, God, and His love motivates me and moves me and shapes me into the woman He has always wanted me to be.  I am the best version of myself when I stand next to His glorious being.

I glanced at the verses that referred to the husband in the passage and was pleased with the result when I inserted God's name in the place of husband.

[God] has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.  31:11

He has full confidence in me because He knows my heart is for Him, and Him alone.  Not because I won't mess up, ('cause I will.)

[God] is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.  31:23

What a beautiful picture this painted for me.  I saw the city gate as the doorway to my home and my life, and I visualized Him standing there where onlookers could see Him for miles around.  Oh, to have a home and a life where my devotion and pride in His position in my life could be evident as far as the eye can see!

And [God] praises her: "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."  31:28-29

What a lovely passage, indeed.  I believe this passage was placed on my heart, not so that I could think about what else I was lacking as a woman of noble character, but rather as a simple love note from my Lover.

I can't imagine a better way to start my Sabbath day.



And although I understand The Notebook is not exactly a spiritually-minded book, this love note caught my eye and is a fitting example of my love for God, my Lover and Husband.