Learning a new way

Learning new things is hard. I would love to believe that I enjoy learning new things, and sometime I do, but other times, it just seems too hard. As I mentioned in a previous post, I am reading a book a friend loaned me. Tuff stuff. No, that's not the name of the book, but it should have been. It is called "Created To Be His Help Meet". Can anyone guess what it's about? Anybody? Yes. It's about our role as help meet. Now I have not finished the book so I can't say whether or not I agree with everything in it, but so far, she has made some very valid points. Some scary points too. Yet, even though she shows scripture, why is it so hard for me to accept the word "ROLE"? Could it have anything to do with the fact that I was raised in a non-Christian home through the 80's and 90s, educated in the public school system, and systematically taught that women should never be put into a "role"? I am thinking maybe. Throw into that mix I was far from the south growing up in Southern California. Women in the south may not always like their role as domestic diva, but at least they do it with a fake smile and big poofy hair. Modern city girls like me however just flat refuse to serve men. That is of course until I vowed my life to Jesus. The most amazing Man ever. So here I sit knowing that Jesus wants me in his word, and is revealing to me things like, submission, and respect, and quiet and gentle spirits. What? OK, so I guess I do see, how men and women could be equally valued in the eyes of God, yet have two totally different roles. And I am also very grateful to be female and not male. I don't want all that responsibility that they have. But when it comes right down to it, complete submission (AND doing it with a smile nonetheless) is hard to do with the stubborn man I am married to. I love that man with every bone in my body, but there are some times, it is really hard with him.
"Who said everything was going to be easy?"
"ummm God, please don't interrupt, I am trying to blog and make many women feel sorry for me"
"Valerie, Seriously?"
"sorry God, your right. As always"

Anyhow, what was I saying? OH yeah, my husband is a stubborn OX..........I mean sometimes my sweet man can be a tad bit difficult. However, I am certain that that is exactly what anyone who has met me would say about me. SO if God knew all this, why did he put us together, with our strong emotional, annoying personalities? Because he knew one day we would both look to Him for direction and He would tell us the formula. Part of it is found in Ephesians 5
" 22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing[b] her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church—"

You see there it is. Instructions for Him and instructions for me. I am OK with the submit part, it's the part after that that drives me bonkers. You know the part, the one that says ".....IN EVERYTHING".

here is an excerpt from the book I thought interesting..

"God's perfect will is that I learn to be the best help meet possible. My husband is highly attracted to my smile. I want my husband to love me. "A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken"(proverbs 15:13) Being pitiful, hurt, discouraged and even sickly is one side of a "bad marriage" coin. Men in general, (your husband in particular), are repulsed by women who project this image. A man's spirit tells him his woman is rejecting him and manipulating him when she regularly manifests a broken spirit, and he will react with anger. The other side of the bad coin includes having a bitter , angry, and resentful spirit.
Toss that old, destructive coin out the door before it buys you a divorce. God's will is for a wife to have a merry heart and a glow that will refresh the most stressed and tired husband on the planet. Bubbling cheer goes a long way to maintain or even restore a marriage. Make a decision right now to break the "poor me" habit. Today put it down as sin, rebellion, and then tomorrow, wake up with joy in your heart and home. Establish a new habit. What can I do that will make him smile?"

Did she seriously just ask me to spend the day thinking of how to make ANOTHER person smile??? Well It can't hurt I guess, so here goes. Goodbye stressed, overworked Valerie, Hello smiley girl who adores her husband. I will let you know how it goes.