I think too much. It drives my husband crazy.
This is not to say that my husband is not an intelligent man (he is) but I suppose it might be a little jarring when in the middle of watching VeggieTales, I suddenly dive headfirst into a deep discussion about theological semantics. Sometimes I wonder if I've got a few Berean genes in me somewhere -- I have an almost insatiable appetite for asking questions, and the ones that can be answered by simply opening a Bible just don't cut it for me.
Here's a perfect example:
Train of Thought #1: The Bible says that a woman is to submit to her husband. My assumption is that this means she is to submit to his leadership and decision-making. I guess this makes sense; if a husband is going out to work hard and bring home a livelihood for his family, then his wife should be a helpmeet to keep the household running smoothly and raise the next generation properly. Seems pretty simple.
Train of Thought #2: But wait -- why, exactly, is a man biologically ordained to be in a position of leadership? Why can't it be the other way around? Why can't a husband stay home with the kids and housework while his wife goes out and has a career? Even if a man is working only in order to provide for his family, he still has more options than his wife. He, at least, can choose a vocation he enjoys. That doesn't seem fair.
My dear husband, through no fault of his own, is of little help. He's just as new to this as I am, and trying to assume a traditional Godly-husband-type role while figuring out his own convictions gets a little overwhelming for him. Even more difficult is the fact that I have few other sources of discourse and advice -- my own mother (whom I adore) is a staunch feminist, and finding a tradition-adhering Bible-believing woman in my line of work is like finding a needle in a haystack.
You got advice? I'll take it.
Do you have a local church near you that you are able to attend where you can find leaders you trust? The advice of older women in my church has been invaluable, even with my godly stay-at-home mother and household-head father to talk to. I've been able to sit down with work-at-home mothers, part-time outside the home working mothers, and mothers of older children who work full time and still manage to keep gorgeous houses who are all happily (in the main, at least) under their husband's headship and learn from them. I've heard stories of squeezing through financially hard times, stories of working because that's what's required to keep bread on the table, and more and it's so helpful. There's nothing that can replace a great church community!
ReplyDeleteAnd I sympathize with driving husbands crazy. I go round and round in my own head on things and my husband always wonders why it's not settled yet!