He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the Lord. Proverbs 18:22
Today we celebrate the 50th birthday of my wife. And over 15 years together. As with any relationship we have had plenty of ups and downs, and because of our differences in culture on top of the normal differences between how a woman and man thinks. It is even more than normal.
The Lord has used her to teach me a lot about who I am, how we are as people of the US, and how people of Mexico are. I have talked about that before with the things the Lord has shown me. And not the focus today. The focus is on how to be grateful no matter what. If things are great and you really have a closeness with your wife, or when you go through a rough time, and things are not so great. Because when things are going well, do you ever really learn anything? Normally not, but when things are not going well, it is when I really stop and pay attention to what God is trying to show me, and I do learn a lot. Come to an understanding of many things, like what is in me, what’s in other people. And more so how God expects us to be, because after all that is what he expects is for us to do our works according to his perfect will and way.
This is one of the main things which is difficult in a relationship, most people do not know the Lord, nor have any desire to know him. They have their religion or politics to lean on and not the Lord. So when they expect things from us that are not in line with what God expects, then troubles come. This is true in any relationship but can be especially hard as a married couple, and or raising your kids.
About my wife, I appreciate many things a lot. For her dedication to her upkeep, she is now 50 but looks better than 99% of 30 year olds both in her facial appearance as well as her body. I know the work she does to maintain this. This is important in honoring the Lord, because the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit if you receive him. And one of the things God expects of us is to keep the temple in good standing. She has done that amazingly well, and as her husband I appreciate it and her beauty.
I am grateful for giving me a son in my older age, and the way she is a mother (most of the time). Because of our way of living, not working a 9 to 5 job, we get to spend a lot of time with the kids, raising them in a much better environment, one where the focus is on God and his ways mostly. There is always room for improvement on this one, and at 12, 10 and 6 the kids are too young to really understand what I understand at 60.
Her drive is amazing as well, how she puts herself into things, not settling for less. Sometimes it works against her, as does everything. But it drives her and has pushed her to higher levels than she probably expected in her life. I know I am amazed at what we accomplished and extremely grateful for God in that regard.
There is also this side of her that wants to fight with me often. It stems from ideology, going back to Mexican and US cultures many times. As well as me being a driver analytical type person and her more expressive driver. It’s that difference which keeps us both balanced. And through those trials it grows us. It is not always fun to deal with but the results when you seek the will of God in them is what is important and what God expects. And in the end to do his will. I know because of who she is and who I am, one of the main reasons we have accumulated things is because of her. Because I would have spent a lot more than we did over the years. And we would have a lot less than we have.
She also tests me often with relationships with other people for good or bad. And many times her thoughts are not that of what God is showing me, and she does not understand as she has not had to deal with it like I have. Those tests also keep me looking for truth in Yeshua, and in the end my wife always supports me in the end. It would be much easier if she just listened and agreed from the beginning, but then without those tests how would I grow and learn?
Hopefully you get the point, be appreciative in the good and bad of your relationship, because in the end what we see as bad is working out in us a good that far outweighs it all.
And for all the good and the bad I am grateful for my wife! And I believe I have found favor from the Lord!