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How To Train Your Wife
My husband, C.J., is working on his master’s degree in Human Fitness and Performance which is a fancy term for physical fitness. All that he has left to complete is his project for which he is writing a strength and conditioning manual for firefighters. He works very hard on his project all the while holding down two jobs and being a wonderful husband and daddy. He is superman in my eyes.
Three weeks ago for the first time ever in my life I mowed the yard, did all the edging and weed eating, and even trimmed the bushes. I found I really enjoyed doing the yard work, and I have done it once a week since.
The first week our neighbor saw me doing the yard and told me, “C.J. doesn’t know how good he has got it.” The second week he complimented my husband for a job well done. C.J. told our neighbor it had not been him that did the yard, but rather me. Our neighbor told my husband, “I know you are working on your firefighter manual, but you would make a lot more money if you wrote a manual on how to train your wife.”
C.J. and I both kind of giggled at his comment, but his wife who was standing right there did not look amused. If I were in her shoes I don’t think I would have been amused either.
This week as I did the yard I was thinking about our neighbor’s comment. While I must admit it I did think of his comment as a compliment, I didn’t see what the big deal was about me doing the yard. When I consider all that C.J. does for our family, taking one extra thing off of him doesn’t seem like that big of a deal. Besides I was only taking care of our ”field” much like the woman in Proverbs 31. When I thought about the woman of Proverbs 31 I realized that the manual on how to train your wife has already been written. It is called the Bible.
The Bible is the manual for all areas of life and the most important book to reference in marriage. It gives instruction to both man and wife on how to fulfill their role and love their spouse.
Are you referencing your manual? Have you looked to God for ways to show your spouse love? What have you come up with? Do you live your life serving your spouse rather than seeking how they can serve you?
Sarah Brown
April 24th, 2010 at 7:15 am
I once was talking with someone and they were appalled when I used the word ’serving’ when referring to marriage. I think that servanthood has such a bad connotation to some people, though for me over the years it has developed into a beautifl word, one that I hope to incorporate into my character more and more. Not just in regard to my husband, but to humanity as a whole.