being a wife

As these thoughts rolled through my mind during this weekend, I decided I'd like to add them to my blog. Then I realized that for some, my pleasure in being a wife would be laughable or even absurd. If you feel that way there's no need to read on, it may really irritate you. I pray that's not the case and that most of you reading (who are my good friends in real life, I realize) will rejoice in the Lord's plan of marriage and His blessings in it according to His timing and desires for us.



So that's the preface I suppose...
Yesterday was a really "normal" Saturday, and today has been the same sort of normal Sunday. Throughout this weekend however, I've just been struck with delight as I've lived as Matt's wife. I really don't know why, but I'm especially thankful that the Lord is good to give us feelings which at times DO match the reality we read of in Scripture. Marriage is blessed according to the Lord's perfect plans and will for His people in their individual lives (i.e., not everyone should marry, I know). The world would tell us otherwise, and at times our feelings would cause us to believe these lies instead of the Lord's Truth.



So my "normal" day included dropping Matt off at work then making a trip to the Farmer's Market to buy a lovely new assortment of fresh flowers that I could use as centerpiece on our kitchen table. I ventured into the world of Whole Foods (I'd never been inside before) to buy some dill and whey to use in pickle making. I came home a cooked a lot... real dill pickles (with CSA pickling cucumbers), 3 batches of zucchini bread (with giant zucchinis given to us by a church member), and dessert (a Martha twist on Rice Krispie treats) to share with our friends who were visiting later in the evening. Then, I cleaned our house which had been neglected by a lack of motivation recently for thorough cleaning. I finished it all in time to pick Matt up from work (we're a one car family now), and then go on a lunch date with him thanks to our Groupon find! We came home and enjoyed watching the World Cup (but the US lost if you hadn't heard). We delivered a meal to our friends who are enjoying their newest family member, a tiny little girl! When we came home we ate a very simple dinner (cereal, zucchini bread, fruit salad, and leftover egg souffle). Then time with more friends who came for dessert and great conversations. Today has been more of "normal" life... cooking, doing dishes, doing laundry, etc. Nothing particularly spectacular about this weekend.



In spite of such mundane tasks as some might say (or as I might say even at times), the Lord has called me to these things. He gave me great joy in them this weekend. I am glad that Matt loves zucchini bread and that I could make a ton and freeze some so that he'll be delighted to enjoy it for days to come! I love that I could have a clean house for him when he came home from working so hard to provide for us and our growing family. I'm very thankful that we enjoy similar things (most of the time) and had a great time watching soccer and visiting with friends. He really is my best friend, and spending these sweet days together leaves me with gratefulness in my heart.

One more thing... he shared this with me after I picked him up from work:
A co-worker (who is a middle aged lady) was explaining why everyone is her family thinks that marriage is a mistake for everyone, and is horrible over-all.
Matt replied that he loves marriage, and is really glad to have a wife.
She told him that he's the only person she knows who feels that way and can be sincerely believed. She explained that Matt is genuinely happier than most people she knows, and that his pleasure in marriage is honest.

This is the Lord's work no doubt, and I pray He will always be glorified in our marriage... the world has no answer for His ways as they are "higher" than ours. Trust Him, He is so good.