My husband was gone for a conference for a whole week. I had a lot of time to think between screams from our three three-and-unders. Most of my thoughts circled around my need for my husband. And while I totally need my husband emotionally, what I was really reflecting on was the physical things that weren't being done around the house.
Who brings in the trash cans after they are picked up?
Who takes out the recycling?
Who cleans the litter box?
Who fixes that rattling sound from the fan?
Who moves the fan from the dining room to the bedroom each night?
Who waters those really dry plants around the house?
And so on.
Sure, they are just simple things, but somebody does them.
And that somebody is certainly not me or any of our children.
They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. I think absence makes my dependence grow deeper.
And that is not a bad thing.
The world tells women -
"BE STRONG!"
"You don't need a man!"
"Being bossy is a protected right!"
"Submit to a MAN? Sure, in the 16th century."
The truth is when God has given a husband to a woman, He has given her a symbol of Christ caring for His Church. Not every woman is blessed with a husband, and she is still indeed complete in Christ. Because whether you are given a man as a husband or not, you are still called to submit to one another. Submitting is not just for wives.
Check it out - Read THIS.
Submitting has such a negative cultural meaning in our take-charge, speak-out, kick-your-way-to-the-top, don't-mind-those-mean-authorities, and who-needs-men-anyway world.
My words on the matter -
Get over yourself.
And that is spoken to me just as much as you.
We all need a little lesson in getting over ourselves.
Putting the authority of another over the desires of ourselves.
Listening to our husbands instead of forming our next response as to why we are right.
Honoring our parents throughout our lives in place of assuming we know best because we are all grown up.
Respecting our pastors' words without questioning if his voice sounded just right from the pulpit.
And my role as the wife and my role as the daughter and my role as the parishioner does not change based on the actions of my authority.
If my husband doesn't take out the recycling, I am still told to honor and submit to him.
If my parents don't agree with me, I am still told to honor and obey them.
If my pastor doesn't have the most amazing preaching style ever, I am still told to respect and listen to him.
Ugh.
It is like a punch in the gut sometimes - the Law. I don't like it.
My sinful self wants to find some "but, but, but..." in this.
There is no "but."
"...giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ." Ephesians 5:20-21
OK, I was sort of wrong. There is one "but."
It works like this -
I haven't honored and submitted to my husband the way I am commanded to do, but...
...but Christ fulfilled even this Law and even for me.
Even before I failed as a wife, He cleaned His entire Bride (even me!) by the washing of His blood.
I haven't honored and obeyed my parents the way I am commanded to do, but...
...but Christ fulfilled even this Law and even for me.
Even before I failed as a daughter, He was born of a woman, dying on a cross as the perfect Child.
I haven't respected and listened to my pastor the way I am commanded to do, but...
...but Christ fulfilled even this Law and even for me.
Even before I failed as a parishioner, He perfectly listened and obeyed His Father to the point of death, even death on a cross, so we, by virtue of our adoption, can call, "OUR Father..."
And because He buried me with Him in Baptism, He lives through me.
Every once-in-awhile I submit, I honor, I obey, I listen, but...
...but I do this only through Him.
