Serving and Submitting

We just got back from a six day trip to Atlanta!  It was FUN, FUN, FUN!  The book I chose to take with me to read while we were there was a book by Elizabeth George called A Woman After God's Own Heart.  The particular chapters that I was reading just so happened to be "A Heart the Serves" and "A Heart that Submits."  Not so bad right? 

Well.....she is talking about serving and submitting to your husband!  BAM!

I thought that this was very comical of God sense vacations can be such a tense experience with directions, decisions, different ideas of relaxing, etc.  Actually, Paul and I had done pretty well up to that point.  We made it to the hotel without arguing.  Only a few barks at the kids when they asked us to please turn up the movie right when we were in Downtown Atlanta traffic coming up on the exit we were to take.  I couldn't blame them because we actually had turned down their movie so we could concentrate.  Later we had to apologize for yelling at them and explained why we were so tense in the Atlanta traffic.  I don't think they really understood because of course we are supposed to be superman and superwoman to them.  Why in the world would be need to concentrate to drive?  ha!

Needless to say, on day one I was laying out by the pool reading these words, "And just what is this 'helper' from Genesis 2:18?  Borrowing a few of Jim's Bible study books, I learned that a helper is one who shares man's responsibilities, responds to his nature with understanding and love, and wholeheartedly cooperates with him in working out the plan of God." 

Elizabeth George went on to say that she realized that she was on assignment by God to be a helper and to submit to her husband. 

WOW!  Smack in the face!  I realize that I have a lot to learn about being a good helper and submitting to my husband.  But here are some questions we can ask ourselves...

Are we giving the gift of headship to your husband through your heart attitude of submission?
Are you experiencing the rightness that comes from a decision to follow God's plan for marriage?

I can honestly say that we avoided many arguments on our vacation because I practiced being a good helper and submitting to Paul.  To be honest with you, at first I thought, "Are you serious?  I have to serve another person? What about ME?" But then, I realized that it had nothing to do with Paul and everything to do with the Lord. 

My prayer is that I would continue to reveal my respect for Paul in the daily instances.  I pray that I would respond positively to him and that I would remember to stop and think, "am I bending or bucking?"  After all, a woman after God's own heart has a heart for serving her husband.

Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. ~ Eph. 5:22

~Kerry