The Beginning of a Wife’s Journey

Farmland Sunset

 From Peacefulwife:

I believe that wives need to hear other wives’ stories from every stage along this road of learning to be a godly wife, what it means to respect our husbands, what it means to biblically submit to our husbands, what it looks like in a variety of situations – and how God works through every baby step of the way. This will be a very long journey.  It is probably not going to be something that changes in a few days or a few weeks. Each wife’s story will be unique.  I believe this wife’s story may be something that many other wives can relate to.  I am REALLY EXCITED about what God is doing in her heart.  I believe that her willingness to allow God to change her, her focus on Christ, her humble attitude now that she has seen her sin, her willingness to repent and to obey God are going to open the flood gates of heaven in her life for God to change HER first.  We are praying together for her and for her husband and child and for God’s will for their future – that He might be greatly glorified in this family.  Please pray with this wife for God’s power and for His Spirit to accomplish His purposes and His will in this situation.

A HUGE thank you to this wife for giving me permission to share her story.

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I realize that the early years of our relationship were the best, not only because relationships are usually great in the beginning – but because that was when I acted like I needed/relied on him.  I was acting submissive then (without knowing), and I yielded to his leadership because I did not know how not to… I was going through a difficult time and he was my source of hope.

As time progressed, I got stronger (emotionally), and with the strength I got less submissive (this is what I am seeing in hindsight – at that time I did not even know what submissiveness was and how it affected relationships).  I love my husband and always felt loved by him throughout the years, even though we had problems over the years -constantly arguing, always disagreeing, not seeing eye-to-eye on anything, and most often and trouble-some – I felt that he put his family above me.

My in-laws and I ended up with many bad issues/arguments…and one day in the heat of an argument about them on the phone – with me hundreds of miles away,

My husband said we were over.

Life was never the same after that day.

I cleaved to God like I have never done before and I learned more about marriages/GOD in the first year of the stress than I knew in all my life before.

I eventually moved to this country, and have seen God work wonders in my life. My first 2 years here were the hardest…I was lonely, empty and drained. My husband still stayed nearby with family and I stayed with our child – he was always welcome to join us. He did not. (I now realize that my continued angry, disrespectful behavior would not have been welcoming even if he wanted to!)

Though my husband’s heart is locked shut to me — he sometimes visits (not often enough), he cooks for us, bake with me at Christmas time etc. — but he is still so far from me emotionally and his heart is in no way focused on God or on our marriage. He seems to have lost all desires to be my husband and our leader… and he still speaks of wanting a divorce (He does this whenever I argue with him and push him — of course after the “Love and Respect” book I won’t do that anymore).

When I “argued/pushed,” as stupid as it sounds, I had good intentions! I just wanted his eyes to see right from wrong. Oh, stupid me for trying to be Holy Ghost in his life! I now know that I am responsible for my actions only…I should do what God wants and He will bless me as He sees fit.

For years I have prayed/fasted for my marriage— and I saw nothing happening — but a few weeks ago after hearing of the Love and Respect Book on the Dave Ramsey show…I knew God was working all along!!!!!!!

It is like Karate Kid I watched as a teen. The boy wanted the man to teach him karate but every time he went for training the man would give him chores! Oh, how he wanted to not do the chores and just learn karate! However – in his wisdom, the karate expert was using all those chores to train him to fight! Remember that show??? God has revealed to me, that all these years, he has been putting the pieces of the puzzle together!!! I saw nothing in the flesh that looked like restoration, but oh, God has been weeding out the old things and planting new seeds! And it does not matter if he starts with me!

I was so focused on trying to love my husband when he was being uncommitted and unloving to me…..it took everything out of me. Then I had to learn to forgive…BUT OH, it was a HUUUUGE part of the puzzle when I noticed that my lack of respect — my lack of submitting to my husband was a MAJOR part of the puzzle. God has revealed to me that he taught me how to really love my husband, when loving him seemed impossible, because that is the foundation of everything! God is love!  I had to learn to forgive my husband.

God could have shown me the respect piece of the puzzle a long time ago…..but I was not ready for it! I found your site shortly after reading the book or shortly before I finished it….it was less than 2 weeks ago, but it feels like a lifetime!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, to God a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day. One by one God has been teaching me the skills. Love (I mean Godly love), forgiveness and respect are just some of the “skills.” He has taught me so much more, I am just pointing out the major “moves.”

DISRESPECT was huge in my marriage. I would have never thought that before reading the book/reading your website….how blind and ignorant I was. 

I wanted my husband to love me so much (I am talking about even before he relocated), and when he was not loving me “the way I wanted him to,” I reacted disrespectfully – 

the vicious cycle destroyed my marriage.

My husband visited us last week, and when he left and we talked on the phone, I told him how happy we were to see him and how we love him. I recall him saying that he always knew there was love between us, but he could not live “like this” anymore. Just a week or so before the visit, he told me that he loves me, but was not “in love” with me. Despite the state of my marriage,

My husband has always said that he knew love existed, and I always wondered why that was not enough.

I finally know…love for me was everything, respect for him was everything.

I am hurt by not disheartened by my husband’s lack of “being in love,” with me…instead I rejoice that despite everything that has happened in our marriage, he can still say – he knows that he loves me. Whatever is good, I will think on!

Your site has been so helpful to me. I feel as if some of the things that are written were written out of my head!!!  I am guilty of always pushing my husband to “decide/answer/respond now.” I did not know that his ways were so different from mine and I did not respect the God made differences in my husband.

Yesterday, I called him and I apologized for my lack of respect over the years.

I told him how ignorant I was, how I was always confused by how if he said he loves me, he could not just want to be with me, and how I realize it was my disrespectful behavior that robbed him of his sense of commitment to us. I told him my heart’s sadness and how I finally see how I wounded his heart/feelings and I asked him to forgive me.

I did not mention anything he did wrong (and oh, there have been many! His actions/choices have been very hurtful to me).

He said, ok and that he understands what I am saying, and we ended amicably.

I asked nothing more of him, and I did not try to make him tell me how he felt about what I said. I learned that from your blog! One week ago, I would have asked him to respond, to tell me how he felt, to try to have a LOOOONG conversation. I made it short, and I was just happy that he allowed me to speak to him and that he said he understood “exactly” what I meant.

I believe that though my husband’s heart is hardened, that in time God will replace his heart of stone with a heart of flesh. I pray that God will restore the years the locusts have eaten from my marriage and that God will use my marriage to bring him Glory – to show that He is powerful and mighty. I do know that our son is watching me carefully and that he has been learning about the power of love/forgiveness and now respect. He has seen how God has worked in our lives and though he hurts from the broken marriage, he has also been blessed by seeing how God has been with us and provided for us and comforted us. He is such a good prayer partner to me, and I love how he loves his dad – despite how hurt he was at first (and I am sure he still is)

My number one heart’s desire is for my husband to come to know God and accept him as his personal Savior. I will give shouts of joy and songs of praise when that happens!!!

FROM PEACEFULWIFE:

When  I see a wife have an attitude of humility, brokenness, repentance and willingness to totally surrender to God and obey Him in everything – I know God is going to be moving mountains in that wife’s life.  I am SO EXCITED to see what God has in store for this precious sister of mine!  This is the spiritual place we have to start from.  Getting rid of all pride and all sin, seeking God with all our hearts, wanting to know Him more and to please Him no matter what the results might be.

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