Woodworking and Marriage

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When I was little, I used to watch my dad work with wood in the garage.  He's entirely self-taught, and over the last twenty-five years or more his skill has increased to the point that now he's made a bunk bed and a cedar chest, several steps up from the bookshelves he started out making.

Often when he wants to make a very sturdy, very high-quality piece of furniture that will stay together for a long time, he joins the pieces of wood together using what are called dove-tailed joints, instead of nails, screws or glue.  The ends of the pieces of wood are cut in a pattern that looks a bit like the sides of a zipper, so that they fit together snugly and don't move.  Each piece of wood supports the ones on either side of it, like fingers woven together.

I see my marriage relationship like those pieces of wood with the dove-tail joints.  My husband and I are two separate entities, but we complement each other, we fit together perfectly, and we support each other and make the other person stronger.  When we were married, God joined us together, two people becoming one in his eyes.

"Two are better than one," it says in Ecclesiastes.  "What God has joined together, let no man separate, for they are not two, but one," Jesus said in Matthew.

My husband and I, joined at the heart, soul, mind and body, have a joining, a union, that will last our whole lives: a work of art, designed not by humans but by God, that will hopefully be a testament to him and his majesty for many, many years.

Linking up today: Lisa-Jo Baker, finding joy, Consider the Lilies, Your Thriving Family

Stressing and Blessing

This weekend was a rollercoaster-ride of emotions.

Thursday morning our car started acting up.
Thursday night my in-laws came to help get it (temporarily) figured out.
Success with the car (temporarily).
Also Thursday night, my father-in-law had a minor stroke.

Friday morning my mother-in-law took Dad to the hospital.
Friday evening we had a great time with friends (Joe and Ruth).
Friday night Joshua's younger brothers stayed with us.

Saturday morning I spent thrift-shopping and making cookies with another amazing friend, Sara.
Saturday afternoon I worked at the library.
Brothers stayed with us again Saturday night.

Sunday morning we went to a Methodist church (for a class Joshua's taking).
Sunday afternoon we visited Joshua's parents at the hospital.
Dad is doing a lot better--walking with a walker, talking almost normally, moving more.
Sunday evening we went to see Puss in Boots (funny movie :) ).
Sunday night we did homework and played cards with Ruth and Joe.

And now it's Monday, and I'm drowsy from sleep deprivation all weekend, and stressed because the house didn't get clean like I planned for it to.

It was a busy weekend--stressful things and fun things to counteract the stressful, but no time to do much housework or homework.

In it all we were blessed.
In it all God taught me so much (selflessness, the value and importance of family, more lessons on priorities, how amazing our friends are, the incredible blessing my husband always is, etc, etc).

Life is so fragile.
The future is so elusive.
Our plans are so futile.

God holds all things together.
God knows the future.
God's plans will come to fruition.

Sometimes it's just hard to trust, to remember that.
Worrying seems so easy.  But it doesn't do any good.

Trusting is so hard.  But it's the only thing I can do, sometimes.
Prayer is so easy, and it does so much good!
I've been doing a lot of that this weekend.

I'm ooking forward to Thanksgiving break--a time to rest, to catch up on housecleaning, to relax with my husband, to see family, to remember all we have to be grateful for.

My Father's Daughter

This is the dance my Daddy and I shared on my wedding day.  I hope you can see the love in this picture; it's the most precious experience I've ever had with my dad.

I have been blessed beyond measure in my relationship with my father.  I know this is something not every girl experiences, and I am thus all the more thankful for it.  My dad has always been a great role model to me.  I've always looked up to and greatly respected him.  I remember once riding my bike through town and a little girl who happened to be one of my dad's students saw me and called out, "Hi--Mr. H's daughter!" because she couldn't remember my name.  I was tickled and honored to be referenced by my father's name.

As a Christian, I desire to be known as my Father's daughter: a child of God.  My Daddy has always been the image of Christ in our home, as the spiritual leader of our family, by loving and honoring my mother, and by serving us all selflessly.  Just as I am blessed to be called his daughter, so I am blessed to be a child of God.

My dad and I have been blessed with a very close relationship all my life.  I have sweet memories of spending time with him in the garage while he worked on some carpentry project, or visiting him at work, sitting beside him on the organ bench, and when I was very small, visiting his 8th grade classroom when he was a homeroom teacher.  I've seen him touch the lives of hundreds of students as they've passed through his music classroom.  I've seen him be a blessing to the pastors and teachers he's worked with over the years.  And as much as he serves others, he is the greatest blessing to his family.

Daddy, I'm proud for everything you are and all you've done.  I'm honored and blessed to be your daughter.

Wisdom from My Mother

This is my mom and me:

After reading my blog post from yesterday, she responded in an email with some comments on godly, womanly submission that she wrote in her copy of the book Feminine Appeal, by Carolyn Mahaney.  (It's a book I'd recommend to all women, married or not!)  My parents have been married for nearly twenty-four years.  Part of their ministry at our church includes being part of the marriage-ministry team; they serve other couples and help lead regular marriage retreats.  My mom also leads a moms' Bible study that meets weekly; she has counseled and advised many women and been an encouragement and example to all the women in her life, especially me.  She embodies the Biblical role models I've been writing about lately, and if I can become a godly wife and mother like her I will be content.

My mom wrote, 

Our sinful nature, and the culture we live in, tempt us to want our own way and resist  our husband's authority.

To be submissive is in fact a model of inner strength; an indication of God's grace         enabling obedience of heart and will.

Wifely submission: the divine calling to honor and affirm her husband's leadership and    help carry it through according to her gifts

Looking to find/see the best in our husbands leads us to honor and respect them more, which inspires them to be/do more.

Respecting our husbands is a decision we make in obedience to God's word...not based upon our feelings or their "worthiness".

Our ability to submit, especially during the difficult times, proceeds from a resolute trust in God.  We place our hope in God.  We depend wholly upon God.

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This picture embodies my parents' marriage: walking together, side by side and hand in hand, through life.