Sat, Nov. 6
... Make them drop their jaw a little
I'm sorry,
Laurel--I know you'll hate me for this, but I have to talk about
sumbission a little more.
Mike and I had an interesting conversation about the whole thing last night, and he made a good point. Not only is it our responsibility to submit to the authorities and the people are in leadership over us and in the relationships that God asks for submission in, but the beauty of it is how God molds that. Mike's comment was that there are so many times when he's partially willing--or grudgingly willing--to submit, and when the submission happens, things become that much better. It's less about "me vs. you" and "let's make my idea work," and it becomes more about "let's see how all these ideas fit into the whole."
And the thing is, I'm less scared of submission in marriage, because I see how it is in leadership. I'm experiencing, learning, living it right now. I'm having to submit, and I'm learning how incredibly difficult and rewarding it can be. I have to make the tough choices, and I'm seeing how they're affecting my character, even in the smaller, short-term ways, and I see a foundation being laid for the longer-term changes in me.
And if there's that much payoff in leadership submission, how much moreso in marriage? I know that the idea of submission is such an unpopular one, but I think that it's there for a reason. And not just wives to husbands; the Bible says to "submit to each other" as well. But that's almost beside the point right now.
Yeah. It's not an easy thing to do, but the greater the risk, the greater the rewards. Obviously, I'm not speaking from marriage experience, but I do see that there's more risk in submission. I mean, I can choose to leave my ministry at the church--as heart-wrenching as that would be--if I decided that it really wasn't worth what I have to give up. That's not the case in marriage. It's for life. It's not something to turn away from, just because too much is asked.
But if I see God changing my heart this much in the relatively small amount I need to submit in ministry, how much more potential is there for that growth, celebration, heart-changing, and compatability in marriage? I guess I'll find out one of these days...
Every day, though, I get a little bit closer to being ready. And I'll never know everything I need to know about marriage before I get there, but I see God doing more and more in me, and molding me into the woman he wants me to be, and I know that I'm getting there, and that I'm that much more prepared for that someday marriage than I've ever been.
infinite || abyss
posted at 11:36 p.m.
