My husband the preacher

My husband preaches sermons.

This isn’t who he is, but it does make up a large piece of what is important to him.

Last Sunday he preached a message that hit home for me in layers that I had to unpack very carefully, and very slowly.

His message was simple: THIS day is from the Lord.

This day brings an opportunity to focus on Christ. This day is filled with joys and sorrows that remind us of His mercy and grace. This day brings His love into our lives. He must have said “this day” about 50 times in his message.

Every Sunday I go to church. Sometimes will bells on, and sometimes reluctantly, I admit. It’s a workout, with four kiddos who each need something different, need to be in different places, or who just have needs. There are a million people to see and check in on each Sunday. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the life of the church, blessed by it truly, but overwhelmed by it.

Sunday, I sat in my pew and listened to my husband’s message. The message sat in my heart and God spoke in His Word a new kind of gratefulness to me, in my vocation as pastor’s wife.

Wow:

This is the day I get to hear the Word from my husband’s lips. 

How many other women get to do this, and so frequently?

Sometimes as a pastor’s wife, I feel a bit robbed of a pastor. It’s true. If I have a need, who do I call on? My husband? He’s busy with a million other needs. In addition to that, he hears with husband ears when I speak, not necessarily pastor ears- objective, grace giving, third party ears.

And it’s so easy as a pastor’s wife to feel a little left out of the flock, or to focus on the negatives of the church. We, after all, often have a behind the scenes glimpse of all the beauty and ugly that can be found in our congregations.

But what God reminded me on this day, is that I am in a small but mighty group of ladies that hear the Word of God directly spoken over them by their husband on any given Sunday. I have no doubt where my husband’s heart is. He is praying earnestly to have the message of God heard clearly by the receivers. I can gratefully be one of those participants.

Kids in the pew, needs all around, a bit of loneliness creeping in. Yes. But blessings tucked into the chaos. Oh my, yes!

THIS is the day His Word goes out. This is the day my husband gets to be the container pouring it out. This is the day I will rejoice and be glad in exactly where He has put me, and trust that every little day is part of His plan.

“…And how will they hear without someone preaching?” Romans 10:14