Wait at the Cottage Door

Last night when my husband arrived home, I was in the middle of reading the Bible. My mother recently challenged me to read the entire book of Philippians every day for 30 days. Yesterday was day 15. But I was so wrapped up in other things all day yesterday, that at the end of the evening, I found that I hadn't done my reading yet. Obviously, my relationship with God is more important than my relationship with my husband, because without the former, I would not have the latter. But on the other hand, Rueben should not have to wait for me to finish reading when he just came home. So I postponed finishing my reading until a half hour after Rueben arrived. I put myself in his place and knew that if I had just come home, I would want some time with him.

Putting yourself in your spouse's place is an important part of having a harmonious relationship. I prayed for God to forgive me for, in this instance, putting Rueben first. I trust that since, I am usually much better about putting God first, that this one slip up would be forgiven and He would bless our time together. He did. We talked, we held hands, we kissed, we hugged, we watched a comedy, we laughed together, and it was all so lovely.

Then I not only read Philippians, but several other scriptures as well, spending quality time with the Lord. After a fruitful time in the Bible, I went back to focusing on my husband. He appreciated it and started stroking my back, which was soothing and relaxing. I had told him I wasn't sleepy, but knew I needed sleep, so he did what he could to make me sleepy. It worked.

In the future, I will be more careful about how I spend my time. There is no good reason why I was faced with the dilema of God versus husband. I spent too much of the afternoon and evening in front of the television. In the future, I will use my time more wisely. But when I decided to put off my Bible study for 30 minutes while connecting with my husband, I did so because I reasoned that two wrongs don't make a right. Why should my husband not be able to spend time with me when he got home, because of my poor planning? It is important to let your spouse know that he or she is important to you and that you miss him or her when you are apart. There is a line from one of my favorite songs, "Just imagine someone, waiting at the cottage door, where two hearts become one. Who could ask for anything more?" This is from "Nice Work if You Can Get It." When you are the one who is home first, be great to come home to, as often as possible. Try to avoid being wrapped up in something when your spouse arrives.