Many are the plans in a man's heart,
but it is the LoRD's purpose that prevails.
-Proverbs 19:21
I once had an interesting conversation with a woman whose husband
had enrolled in seminary to prepare for ministry. "He can take
classes all he wants, but I didn't sign up for the preacher's wife thing,"
she said. Since she didn't believe her husband would actually follow
through, she went on to tell me she planned on humoring him until
the day his calling affected her. And if that day ever came? Well, sh e'd
just cross that bridge when she came to it.
He is still in school. She is still in denial.
Around that same time I attended a pastors' wives conference
that included a panel discussion at the end. Lined across the stage,
five women in different seasons of ministry shared the thing they
found most difficult about being married to a minister.
I'll never forget the response of the youngest woman. She was a
mom of toddlers and was obviously distressed. "The hardest thing for
me is everyone wanting a piece of my husband and not acknowledging
me in the least," she said. "I feel like the person in the background
who is only here to take care of the kids so he can be free to take care
of everyone else."
I was grieved by her raw response. All I wanted to do was wrap
my arms around that girl and assure her she had it all wrong. That
she was an integral part of her husband's ministry. That her calling
in that season was her children. That no amount of public success
possibly mattered if her heart and home were in shambles. The sad
thing is that I've met many more like her in the past fifteen years
during my own life as a minister's wife. If anything, this has intensified
my desire to embrace and encourage women whom God has charged with supporting
the men He has ordained to proclaim His Word.
The fact that I just typed that last sentence still baffies me. You
have no idea how surreal it is for me to be writing this book. There
are many of you reading who have been Christians as long as you
can remember and always knew you would marry a preacher. Many
more of you grew up as the child of a minister and swore you would
never marry one yourself, only to find yourself eating your words.
Some of you have pursued callings to various vocational ministries
and met your mate in college, seminary, etc. Some of you married
men who were already serving in the church. However, based on my
blog surveys, a lot of your serene lives were turned inside out when
your husband experienced God's call to ministry some point after
you were married.
And then on the lunatic fringe are girls like me whose life and
marital background weren't exactly resume worthy.
but it is the LoRD's purpose that prevails.
-Proverbs 19:21
I once had an interesting conversation with a woman whose husband
had enrolled in seminary to prepare for ministry. "He can take
classes all he wants, but I didn't sign up for the preacher's wife thing,"
she said. Since she didn't believe her husband would actually follow
through, she went on to tell me she planned on humoring him until
the day his calling affected her. And if that day ever came? Well, sh e'd
just cross that bridge when she came to it.
He is still in school. She is still in denial.
Around that same time I attended a pastors' wives conference
that included a panel discussion at the end. Lined across the stage,
five women in different seasons of ministry shared the thing they
found most difficult about being married to a minister.
I'll never forget the response of the youngest woman. She was a
mom of toddlers and was obviously distressed. "The hardest thing for
me is everyone wanting a piece of my husband and not acknowledging
me in the least," she said. "I feel like the person in the background
who is only here to take care of the kids so he can be free to take care
of everyone else."
I was grieved by her raw response. All I wanted to do was wrap
my arms around that girl and assure her she had it all wrong. That
she was an integral part of her husband's ministry. That her calling
in that season was her children. That no amount of public success
possibly mattered if her heart and home were in shambles. The sad
thing is that I've met many more like her in the past fifteen years
during my own life as a minister's wife. If anything, this has intensified
my desire to embrace and encourage women whom God has charged with supporting
the men He has ordained to proclaim His Word.
The fact that I just typed that last sentence still baffies me. You
have no idea how surreal it is for me to be writing this book. There
are many of you reading who have been Christians as long as you
can remember and always knew you would marry a preacher. Many
more of you grew up as the child of a minister and swore you would
never marry one yourself, only to find yourself eating your words.
Some of you have pursued callings to various vocational ministries
and met your mate in college, seminary, etc. Some of you married
men who were already serving in the church. However, based on my
blog surveys, a lot of your serene lives were turned inside out when
your husband experienced God's call to ministry some point after
you were married.
And then on the lunatic fringe are girls like me whose life and
marital background weren't exactly resume worthy.
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