I have the privilege for a few weeks to hang out with some really great gals once a week in my home. To me, they are my close and precious friends, but, Biblically speaking, I suppose they are the "younger women" and I am, ummm, the "older woman." Supposedly, I teach them how to love their husbands and children but, in reality, iron sharpens iron. I am the one that gets the blessing.
We've been discussing some weighty topics. Our purpose as women. (It's not to have a great marriage, raise well-behaved kids, and vote conservative, by the way). Then an entire evening on emotions. That one was really good.....and heartily endorsed by our husbands, I think! We're about to do an evening or so on marriage. I am looking forward to that - I love being married! After 26 years, I still love being married!
One of these precious women asked me to share our 3 greatest mistakes as well as 3 things we have done right. Game on! I am up for the challenge....and transparency... I think......Actually, it would be a lot easier....a lot safer....to share "3 steps to a great marriage". But that's not how I teach. I really love these gals, and I think the best way for them to learn...and me to grow...is to share my life. The Apostle Paul put it this way "Having thus a fond affectoin for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the Gospel of God, but also our very own lives, because you had become very dear to us." (I Thessalonians 2:8)
I asked my husband for his perspective and invited him to share MY greatest mistakes with me so that I can share them with these women. Since I am not instructing husbands, I don't think it would be helpful to know where husbands have gone wrong :) Just a wife. Gulp. I am grateful that he is kind. And diplomatic. But I want to share the truth. Maybe someone else can avoid a field trip to learn a lesson. Maybe a lecture will suffice.
So this Sunday night, I will air my dirty laundry, as my husband likes to say. And some clean laundry as well. Greatest failures. Greatest successes. Laundry. Living letters.
I'll keep you posted.
We've been discussing some weighty topics. Our purpose as women. (It's not to have a great marriage, raise well-behaved kids, and vote conservative, by the way). Then an entire evening on emotions. That one was really good.....and heartily endorsed by our husbands, I think! We're about to do an evening or so on marriage. I am looking forward to that - I love being married! After 26 years, I still love being married!
One of these precious women asked me to share our 3 greatest mistakes as well as 3 things we have done right. Game on! I am up for the challenge....and transparency... I think......Actually, it would be a lot easier....a lot safer....to share "3 steps to a great marriage". But that's not how I teach. I really love these gals, and I think the best way for them to learn...and me to grow...is to share my life. The Apostle Paul put it this way "Having thus a fond affectoin for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the Gospel of God, but also our very own lives, because you had become very dear to us." (I Thessalonians 2:8)
I asked my husband for his perspective and invited him to share MY greatest mistakes with me so that I can share them with these women. Since I am not instructing husbands, I don't think it would be helpful to know where husbands have gone wrong :) Just a wife. Gulp. I am grateful that he is kind. And diplomatic. But I want to share the truth. Maybe someone else can avoid a field trip to learn a lesson. Maybe a lecture will suffice.
So this Sunday night, I will air my dirty laundry, as my husband likes to say. And some clean laundry as well. Greatest failures. Greatest successes. Laundry. Living letters.
I'll keep you posted.