Grinning From Ear To Ear

Before I begin, I need to note that there is a very noisy tuba player or something screeching an annoying tune outside my window. It is fairly distracting, but I will do my best to type my thoughts anyway...

I have always thought of myself as a pretty good wife. After all, I take good care of our kids, try to keep myself fit and reasonably attractive. I pray for my husband daily. The kids and I run to greet him at the door when he comes home from work with kisses and hugs. I keep the house and laundry clean (most of the time):). I cook healthy meals for our family. I wouldn't think of serving a frozen dinner, because I feel like I am doing something halfway. I make my husband's lunch every day and sometimes I even write lovey dovey notes and put them in his lunchbox. But, just recently, my husband pointed out to me that I was not being a helper.

I couldn't believe my ears! Not being a helper? I didn't really know how to respond to that. I really do try to be a good wife. But am I a "helper"? That really is my role. It isn't really my role to function independently of my husband, dotting my i's and crossing my t's, checking off the things that a "good wife" does, but rather to be a "helper" to him. It was rather insulting to me, mostly because I feel like being a wife and mother is my full time job. Just imagine if you are a teacher and someone comes in and says, "The students aren't learning. You are not being a teacher." What if you were an event planner and someone said, "You did a rotten job of planning that event. That was the crummiest party I've ever attended." My point is, being a helper is my job. If I am not being a helper, I am not doing my job. I am in the process of reevaluating right now to decide what will "help" my husband.

I thought about what had transpired in the last few months. We just moved to a new town recently. The day we moved I found out I was pregnant. (Very exciting, because we love children) I was moody and cranky for a while. (My husband says I blame everything on hormones, but they really did play a part) Ten weeks into the pregnancy, I had a miscarriage. I was moody and cranky for another period of time. (Again- I'm sure it was mostly due to hormones and not because of my grouchy, complaining heart :) Thereafter, I was overcome with sadness, moping around the house for weeks, complaining because we moved away from my cherished friends back in Wylie. My poor husband was having to deal with the move, a long drive to work, in addition to a bitter, complaining wife who lacked joy. A talk on the phone with a dear friend convinced me that I needed to change my ways. A life filled with the Spirit is a life filled with joy.

Sometimes it is hard when people tell you that you aren't doing a good job at something. While I think my little checklist (clean house, lovey notes in the lunchbox, etc.) is part of being a helper, I think I need to concentrate more on being content, thankful, and joyful. My husband is a wonderful man, he deserves nothing less than my best. So when he walks through the door today and looks at his wife, he may do a double-take. He is going to find me grinning ear to ear.

Thank goodness, that horrid tuba player has finally ceased his blasting!! (I am typing this with a big joyful smile! :)