Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Experiment (02/16/12)
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TITLE: R-E-S-P-E-C-T | Previous Challenge Entry
By Cynthia Carter
02/20/12 -
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My six-year-old daughter and 51-year-old husband were going at it again. I'll put my money on the six-year-old, she wins every time. I shook my head, why did he let her talk to him like that?
Lord, please help me. I should be my husband’s help meet; it is the Holy Spirit’s job to correct him, not mine. You know I have tried to discipline Hannah for disrespecting her daddy, but then she thinks I'm the boss. Why can't we get this thing right? I am not the head of this house. That is his job. Lord, does she call him an idiot because I sometimes think that he is an idiot. Can she read my mind? Please forgive me. Please show me that he is not an idiot. Lord, if he is an idiot, just make me think that he is not, in Jesus name. Amen.
One day while browsing through my Kindle I found a book about being your husband’s help meet. I bought it and began reading. I was fascinated and repulsed at the same time. The author was over the top about submission.
Adam was not deceived, the woman was; obey your husband no matter what. Lie down and be his doormat because your chaste behavior will win him to Jesus if he is not saved. Jezebel is the one who deceives the church… blaah, blaah, blaah.
According to this author, your husband has three needs, food, sex and respect. Yes, I agree with that. The wife has complete responsibility to meet all those needs. According to this book, the success of the marriage depends on the wife meeting those needs. Is this lady crazy?
The more I read, the more I was pulled into this book. I argued with what I read. Hey, I am sorry but I will not stop taking my children to the doctor to save money so my husband will not have to work so hard. Hey Ms. Book writer, why don’t you get a life?
I never made it to the chapter about how to make a request to your husband. I already had a red nightie for that. Oh yes, I forgot, you are not to use sex to manipulate your husband. OK God but what is wrong with a little negotiation?
This book had gotten under my skin so much that I had to take it into my prayer closet. I waded through the chapters and took out all of the scripture. OK God I believe your part of the book. I decided to try an experiment. After all, I do have a good husband. I would view all my decisions as if I were my husband’s helper.
I am usually the last one home at the end of the day. I hated to come home to a messy house with everyone sitting there watching TV waiting for mama to cook dinner. My attitude changed when I looked at myself as the helper. Lord, I am helping my husband pay the bills. I will feed him and clear up the dishes. I will get my daughter ready for bed. I have helped my husband today. That is all I can do. I have obeyed you. Sure everything was not done. Those dust bunnies that didn’t bother anyone else didn’t seem to bother me either.
As I drove my daughter to school, I explained to her that we needed to show Daddy more respect. That night when I returned home from work I noticed that a few things had been done around the house. I shook the dust off the red nightie and put it to good use.
I wrote my husband a note thanking him for all his hard work and telling him that I appreciated him. I did not use the word love in my note. I had read somewhere that men need to be appreciated for their work. I did believe what I wrote but I didn’t believe it would mean anything to my sweetie. I was wrong. When I came home he grabbed me and hugged me with tears in his eyes. He told me how much he loved me. He also ran a water line to my greenhouse. He had been promising this for several years.
Thank you Lord. So that is why you told me to respect my husband. Why didn’t I listen sooner?
I got roses today.
Thank you Lord.
Who was the idiot?
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I especially enjoyed the ending. A mutual show of respect and admiration overall. Lovely.
God Bless you
God Bless~