Subscribe to the NetworkWhat’s “normal” anyways?…
Amanda on October 29th, 2008
Nichole said something in response to a past post that I think quite often,
“We (youth pastors wives) feel guilty about wanting time with our husbands because somehow it is unspiritual or not right if time with him takes away time from church. Ugh. We sacrifice A LOT of time. I am envious of other wives who have husbands with “normal” jobs.”
I’m sure that if my husband had a “normal” job I would want this job back, but I do play the what-if game in my head sometimes.
Anyone relate.
That Nichole, she’s so smart. 
I have these thoughts too sometimes. But then I am reminded of friends whose husbands jobs lead them to work so much more, or are more unstable, or a really negative environment and then I am able to be thankful for what we have and where God has us. That always helps me whenever I start to get envious of someone else’s situation or get dissatisfied with what I have, to remember all the great things that I do have and it helps me be thankful. I also have to remember that ultimately everything I do have is from God’s hand, and I have to trust that he gives me everything I need but nothing more than I can handle with his grace.
On the flip side, I don’t think as wives we should ever feel guilty for wanting more time with our men, God designed us to be one and it hurts when we are apart. One thing I have learned unfortunately the hard way is that nagging, or even gently reminding my husband when his priorities get mixed up with church and family, is that it totally doesn’t work. And if anything it makes him discouraged that I don’t appreciate everything he does. This is still a work in progress for me but just committed praying for him has made all the difference. This “shut up and pray” method I learned from the book by Stormie Omartian, Power of the Praying Wife. A few months ago I started a prayer and study group based on this book with 5 other wives and it has been HUGE for me. I would highly recommend it to all the other YPW’s out there.