Tuesday, May 31, 2011

so u want 2b a preacher's wife?

So you are talking about getting married and so excited to share your dreams with one another? He is preparing for a lifetime of service to the Church by either attending school, the blind faith of his calling, or maybe both. Or maybe you've been married for a while and through time have discovered a calling on your life or your husband's life, or both. You've discussed the joys and blessings of bringing souls into the Kingdom of God; of discipling new converts as they grow and mature spiritually. You are anticipating the overwhelming presence of God to kiss your union, the ministry, and your family; and He certainly will. Yet there is this nagging in the pit of your stomach that causes you to understand the weightiness of the thing in which you are about to step into. And for the love Jesus has poured out on you, you are willing to become a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto the Lord, for such a time as this. This is serious business and you have your heart wide open to whatever the Lord is asking of you; for the sake of the call.

I urge you to go ahead with your plans - unless you feel a "chicken claw" check in your belly. Listen and watch for those gentle signs from the Holy Spirit, who wants to be your Helper all along your journey. If you get a check (knot in your stomach) you need to at least slow down and seek God's will for your life. The timing may be wrong. The partner may be wrong. The city may be wrong. Just listen and if you don't get a green light, sit still until you do.

I married in 1974 and struggled to survive the relationship until the Lord changed our lives in 1979. Even then it was a long road to actually being a pastor. You see, when my husband decided to accept the call on his life, he announced, "No way is it going to be Pastor and his wife. It's going to be Pastor and Pastor." That scared me a lot, but with prayer I understood my position as a help meet and what my husband needed. So now I am both a pastor's wife and a pastor. Some accept me as a pastor but most still call me the pastor's wife. Prejudice lives on in Christianity. Catch my blog, "Can a woman be a pastor?" in the future.

What kinds of struggles are you going to have to face? Are people going to be nice or mean to you? Will they gossip about you, your husband, and your children (if you have any). And, how do you prepare for this? Stay tuned and we will try to break it down together. Your opinions and questions are appreciated.

2 comments:

  1. Hey Pastor Renee! :-)

    When Ben first talked about starting a ministry in Second Life, I was a bit unsure about my role. Now I have a Bible Study and a Prayer Meeting there and I know Holy Spirit leads me to speak what He wants me to say. Like today, during Bible Study I just started talking about something that is important and we had a great discussion about speaking in tongues. It is amazing how God uses us.

    And just so you know, You and Pastor Dan are my 'real life' pastors! :-D That might sound funny to you, but that's what we say in Second Life! Love you!

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  2. Love It....I feel you are about to take this to a whole new level :)

    Excited for more!!

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