Husbands – love your wives.
Wives – respect your husbands.
How can this teaching be so simple and yet so profound?
Your spouse isn’t wrong, just different. Can you accept that he or she has needs that you don’t share?
These were some of the questions which challenged us this weekend at a Love and Respect video conference hosted by our church. We went as a family. Joshua and Rachel served in the children’s department, the rest of the kids were, um, children IN the children’s department. We brought treats, welcomed people as best we could in our (always late) manner, and helped put away chairs and tables at the end.
We did walk away with 3 leftover pizzas so the time obviously wasn’t wasted.
Oh, yes and we also left with a renewed commitment to practice love and respect in our marriage. A reminder that we have have tools available to us in a conflict.
In the afternoon we had a family meeting. Time to talk about finances, budgets, and other exciting topics. Nothing like hitting some of the big issues!
We watched some sermon clips from Pastor Mark at Mars Hill Church in Seattle, listened to several discussions on stewardship with Randy Alcorn, and were challenged by some words from John Piper on the prosperity gospel.
Just your typical afternoon viewing.
We ended the day with the rest of our Pollyanna movie.
How about you? If you have children, do you wrestle over the big issues with them? Do you talk about tithing and stewardship? Do you discuss the problems facing the poverty stricken people in other countries? Do you let them see that marriage takes WORK? Do you let them see you struggle?
Tim and I are both spenders, not a saver between us. As our children have gotten older, they participate in our conversations over money, debt and stewardship. They see our weaknesses and faults.
It’s humbling to know they are aware of your flaws.
I hope amidst it all they also see we are striving to grow and follow Jesus.
But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. My feet have closely followed his steps; I have kept to his way without turning aside. Job 22:10-11
Kathy
