Learning From My Husband

We went to Winco yesterday morning. All of us. I hadn't grocery shopped in almost two weeks and the fridge was getting really bare, so it was a very big shop!

Most of the time I do the shopping during the week, but as this past week was especially busy, it didn't happen. When I have to do the shopping on the weekend, I almost always go alone. I mean, why would I bring children grocery shopping if it wasn't completely necessary, right?

Well, Jason thinks otherwise. He would actually prefer for us to all go shopping together. Like as a family. For a long time this baffled me. Doing large grocery shops towing three kids around is not what I would call fun. So most of the time, I don't listen and just do it my way.

However, his way does have its advantages. Jason can entertain Veronica. He can help me get all of our bulk items. He reminds me of things I may have forgotten. He helps bag the groceries. And at home, he brings everything in and helps me unload it all.

What's very touching to me is that Jason loves our family so much that he'll spend time with us however he can get it, even if it's parading through the aisles at Winco. Of course, he is at work all week and does not regularly do the shopping. So I guess there's some novelty for him in this outing. But mostly, I just think he wants to be with me and the kids.

Scripture gives wives very clear direction about how we should treat and listen to our husbands:



 

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. ...and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
Ephesians 5:20-24; 33b

 

Well, that's definitely counter-cultural. For a long time, it didn't make a lot of sense to me. But I recently read a daily devotional entry that spoke about this scripture and I've been reflecting on it since. Do I "reverence" my husband? I couldn't see how. This notion didn't even seem relevant in our marriage. We are a team and work together cooperatively. In what way can I submit myself to my husband?

Well, obviously this begs the question of sex - should I submit myself sexually? While I'm not going to share a lot of details about that, I will say that I've been reflecting on what that actually means. And I've come to the conclusion that a wife doesn't necessarily lose any self-respect or dignity with this type of mentality. Not if her husband respects her anyways. I mean, in general, what could be so bad in a marriage about having sex more often?

But this scripture is not only referring to sex. In fact, I believe that sex is only a small part of what it is referring to. What about when I think I know what is best for our family? Or even for myself? What about when Jason tells me that I need to rest more and I disagree and state that I just can't because I simply do not have time? Should I not heed to my husband's advice?

I very much believe that the Lord meant for Jason and I to be together and that He blessed me with Jason for a reason. And one of the main reasons is that Jason challenges me and helps me to grow further into my potential as a human. 

So maybe I should listen to my husband more often. Furthermore, maybe I should seek out his advice more often. What a concept, huh?

So I was keeping this in mind this past week as I planned for us all to go grocery shopping together. It might seem like a pretty small thing, but it's something that Jason likes. And it turns out that he was right - we actually had fun together as a family in the grocery store. What a nice surprise!