Promises

A few years ago, I was a part of a ladies' Bible study that has had some really lasting effects on me. Over the course of the two years I was in this particular group, we used a few different books relating to women and the Bible. I wish I could tell you the titles of all of them, but those of you who know me well know that my memory isn't what it should be for a 32 year old. Oh well. the two titles I do remember are Bad Girls of the Bible and A Woman After God's Own Heart.

The study that stands out most in my mind, however, was one based on Titus 2:3-5
3) Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4) Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5) to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

At that time, not being married, some of the Bible studies that used passages like this with certain lessons focusing on marriage, family, home, etc., were kind of hard. Not that it was hard to talk about being married just because I wasn't, but it was hard to know where to store what I was learning until I would need it in the future - now.

Well, always before I had thought of myself as the typical "independant woman" and figured I would always have my career and that I would not be a stay-at-home wife or mom. Not that there's anything wrong with being a stay-at-home, I just didn't see it as where I would ever want to be. I think it's because I had heard of some men who basically mandate that their wife stays at home and I am too strong willed for a man to tell me that I would stay home.

Back to the Bible study... One particular lesson talked about making a home for our husband. I'm assuming it was touching on either verse 4 "to love their husbands and children" or verse 5 "to be busy at home." Come to think of it, it was probably verse 5. The author explored different ways to be busy at home and to love our family by making a good home for them - keeping it clean, keeping them healthy with food and such, and by making our home a place where others felt comfortable. I know that it is very possible to do this while working outside the home as well, but the book explored the idea with the woman staying at home full time. I don't know how to explain it, but somehow it just completely changed my mind about that idea. I left there thinking "Wow. I actually want to stay home someday so I can make that good home for my family."

And now that I'm married, here I am. At home. Very happy with being at home for such a large part of the day. I haven't perfected the whole home-making thing yet, but I'm working on it. I try to keep it fairly tidy. I've cooked since I was at home, but I'm exploring with that now, and my husband told me this afternoon that I have yet to make anything that he doesn't like. Yea! That was after tasting my banana bread :-)

I didn't plan to be staying home right off the bat when we got married, but my job situation is such that I can. God knew it was one of the desires of my heart and he gave it to me. "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." (Ps. 37:4)

How reassuring to actually be able to see God fulfilling His promises in my very own life.