Thankful for My Loving, Christian Wife

Last week a friend of mine, Rev. Dr. Jerry Kieschnick, posted a humorous and timely blog. I don’t remember the anniversary date for Jerry and Terry. But Kathy and I celebrate 45 years of marriage on Saturday, August 20. Jerry wrote,

A long-time friend of mine sent this to me last year. Source unknown.

A group of women were at a seminar on how to live in a loving relationship with their husbands. The women were asked, “How many of you love your husband?” All the women raised their hands.

Then they were asked, “When was the last time you told your husband you loved him?” Some women said “Today.” A few said, “Yesterday.” Some couldn’t remember how long ago they had spoken those words.

The women were then told to take out their cell phones and text their husbands: “I love you, Sweetheart.” Next, the women were instructed to exchange phones with each other and read aloud the text messages they had received in response to their love notes. Below are some of their replies:

1. Who the heck is this?

2. Uh, mother of my children, are you sick or what?

3. Thanks. I love you, too. What’s wrong?

4. What now? Did you wreck the car again?

5. Don’t beat around the bush; just tell me how much you need.

6. Am I dreaming?

7. I thought we agreed you wouldn’t drink during the day.

8. Your mother is coming to stay with us next week, isn’t she?

The moral of this story is not to let the words “I love you, Sweetheart!” be used so rarely that they cause the person who hears them to wonder what’s really motivating the person who speaks them.

I love you, Sweetheart!

Perhaps you laughed at this writing as I did. But, I have recently run across a number of devotional writing on the gift of a Christian wife. Roland Bainton, noted Luther scholar, wrote about Katherine Von Bora, the wife of Martin Luther. “She presided over the first well-known Protestant parsonage and did much to give the tone to German domestic life – authoritarian, parternalistic, with no nonsense, and at the same time tenderly affectionate and marked by utter devotion. . . Luther was fond of the saying: ‘Let the wife make her husband glad to come home, and let him make her sorry to see him leave.’” (For All the Saints, Volume IV, page 303) Katie was a blessing to the great Reformer, Martin Luther. I feel many blessings in my own ‘Kathy/Katie.’

When I look at 45 years of marriage, I am overwhelmed by the blessings Kathy has brought into my life, personally. Let me quote to you from Proverbs 31. “10 A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. . . 29 “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” 30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. 31 Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. In the past I have preached on Proverbs 31 on Mother’s Day. but then I discontinued doing so. In many ways Proverbs 31 describes a “super-woman.” I know that all of Proverbs 31 is not necessarily true of every wife or mother. They have their own gifts and talents. Yet, I do feel like the words of this Proverb actually describe my wife, Kathy. I know that I am truly blessed!

A faithful and loving Christian spouse is one of the very greatest gifts a person can receive in this life. I thank the Lord above that He has so blessed me with Katherine Isabelle Tobin Rockey, and for the joys and challenges of 45 years of marriage. What a gift I have! Thank you, Lord!

I do love you, Sweatheart!