He settles the barren woman in her home, as a joyful mother of children. Praise Jehovah!
Psalm 113:9
They began to come up with the grass in the front lawn Aaron planted for us after four long years of indecision and financial woes. We had been waiting until we could afford to do some landscaping, longing for that flat lawn that marks every home in suburbia (and few in the country). But four years is just too long, and money just too tight. He mowed down the native grasses, tilled a swath in front of the house, and scattered seed during the long, cold rains of September. When it began to sprout, I was horrified at the number of weeds that came along with the grass. Or so I thought!
A few days later, and I began to look closer. They weren't weeds after all. They were tulips, my favorite flower, planted on the sly right in with the grass! Aaron assures me he'll just wait to mow every spring until the tulips are done blooming.
I have boxes in my brain, maybe a few more than the average person. Goes along with my "type A" personality. One of the boxes has a nice, straight label that says "flowers". In it are all kinds of images: tulips in gardens, tulips in vases, maybe even tulips in a bouquet proffered by the handsome hand of my husband at the door some weekday afternoon. But never, ever planted in with the grass. It is one of the joys...and one of the challenges...of marriage, this tearing down of boxes and revision of boundaries and ideas. Learning to see expressions of love in such unexpected places.
Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. ~ Ephesians 5:24-33
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