Happy Father's Day

Just as Proverbs 31 describes a godly woman, Psalm 112 describes a godly man.  It was a "checklist" I followed when I met "the one".  As we approach our 9th anniversary in a few months, I am thankful for this checklist.  If it weren't for this checklist, I wouldn't have the ministry partner in my husband that I have today. 

Psalm 112:1-8
Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
Who delights greatly in His commandments.
His descendants will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches will be in his house,
And his righteousness endures forever.
Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness;
He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
A good man deals graciously and lends;
He will guide his affairs with discretion.
Surely he will never be shaken;
The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.
He will not be afraid of evil tidings;
His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
His heart is established;

Because my husband is like the righteous man described above, I can trust him to follow God's leading, to sense God's direction, to support God's call and to speak God's truth.  And, because of that, he isn't afraid to take over at home so I can go where God leads me.  He isn't afraid to be a dad, to embrace all the father/son bonding time (actually, they enjoy it a little too much when I am gone) and to protect our family from ministry.  He's not afraid to gently let me know when my priorities are shifting nor is he afraid to offer insight on areas he thinks I can be more effective or to advise me of people/situations that need extra caution.  Can't tell you how many times he has been right and how many times listening to him could have spared me headaches or heartaches. 

As we celebrate Father's Day this weekend, I'm thankful for a Psalm 112 man/dad.  His example is one that challenges me often especially as I see how "his heart is established."  As I reflect back over the 9 years of marriage, I can't help but see how God has put us together to learn how to serve one another, how to serve Him and how to serve others as a couple, as a family and as individuals.  There's something powerful, unified and uniquely special when your spouse sees the call of God on your life and his own role in that call and willingly sacrifices his life to follow God with you.

As I talk with mentors, they all talk about putting family first...some days it's easy to do, but most, it is not.  It's a continual struggle for me to keep my priorities in check.  However, as I remember Psalm 112 and the goodness of my husband, my love and appreciation for him deepens.  He reclaims priority as I remember how God designed us to minister together.  Today, God reminded me again of the pure, delightful gift that He has given me in my husband.  Love how He timed this much-needed reminder with Father's Day!  What a role model for me, what a role model for our son!