you are His wife, right?

"Come with me..." my husband said yesterday.

“Vic, come with me to Corpus Christi this week.  You can help me!  You can drive the car while I make phone calls and catch up on work that needs to be done."

Silently, I considered Chuck’s request.  I had already scheduled a lot to do this week at home, and a few days in Corpus would throw off my well laid out plans. But I always love to be with my sweetie.  And, I really wanted to be of help to him.  I desperately desire to be instrumental toward the success of his daily life.  After all, I am his wife, right?   

Hmm.  What to do?  My plans or his?

“Sure, honey!”  I committed myself.  For all I could think of was my devotion: my devotion to Chuck, and even greater, my devotion to Jesus.  I remembered Christ bidding His disciples in Matthew 4 to come and follow Him.  No questions.  No explanations.  No drawn out discussions or analysis.  Just get up and go wherever the Messiah goes.  Follow the Savior's wise lead.  Willingly, obediently, join Him and participate in doing real good and sharing real truth... all in His Holy Name.  Just follow Him.

Jesus simply proposed that the disciples get up and join Him.  So what did they do?  They immediately left their livelihood, their property, their families, their friends.  They left everything aside and decided to accompany the Lord.  And from that humble, obedient decision, what did they witness?  I'll tell you!  They were provided a front row seat to God's miraculous, glorious, perfect, holy work.  Mmmmm.  God at work… WOW, what a honor!!!  For God is always great at work, isn’t He?  God is always accomplishing, always healing, always providing, always doing His good!  God ALWAYS was, is, and is to come…  So, to be invited to stand next to Jesus, God with us, as He did His work in real time… whoa!  That would truly be the coolest, most remarkable thing ever, wouldn’t it?  That would be life-changing!

Think about it.  If you could faithfully stand next to God this hour, and watch Him as He sovereignly manages all large and small matters of LIFE… if you could watch Him “be” that magnificent God of the whole entire universe… if you could physically see Him love, and heal, and restore others, like only He can do… WOW!  How might that change your path?  What would your focus become?  Would your goals be different?  Would your priorities change?  In fact, wouldn’t you want to drop everything else to become a useful, valuable part of His impressive, everlasting, restorative kingdom?  Wouldn't you desire to be an active, helpful participant to His glorious work?  Or would you continue to selfishly choose your own well laid out plans?  Honestly, what do you really have going on that is more important than His loving work?

The answer is nothing.
Nothing!
Nothing trumps the Lord’s call.
Nothing matters more.
Nothing is greater, or better, or more important than what Jesus has asked of His beloved.
We are to join Him in the doing... in the living... in the NOW of His work!
After all, we are His bride, aren’t we?

“Come with Me,”  He says.
“Come abide.  Come rest.  Come claim victory.  Come love… all in My Name.”
“Yes, come share My good, good news to all the world!”

What to do?
My plans, or His?
My life, or His?
My way, or His?

I type these thoughts from a dark lab room at a small research university in Corpus Christi.  Here I sit, deliberately being quiet, because in the room next to me my husband is busy teaching an eager classroom of students on how to use Phased Array equipment through real-life application.  (I don’t even know what importance Phased Array equipment brings to this world, but Chuck's audience does… and they are hungry to hear all they can about it!)  Yes, our early commute to get to this location was quite taxing for me as I didn’t get much sleep the night before and my physical handicaps remain difficult.  And sure, the food and accommodations in this place are underwhelming, to say the least.  Of course, all this has kept me away from my household of scheduled activities and personal to do's.  Even the very chair I find myself sitting in right now is quite dirty and uncomfortable.  But here I sit overlooking every annoyance and obstacle... joyful in today!  I am content with my husband.  I am thankful for this time, this place, the food, the accommodations, and especially the people.  Mostly, I am thankful to be here beside my Love.  Why?  Because I have learned that every flower, every lasting vine, must be deliberate to stretch out it's branches to get through the dirt in order to grow beautifully in the splendor of the sunshine above.  My husband asked me to join him here and help him accomplish this work, at this time, in this place... and that is precisely what I intend to do!  There is nothing better than following God's everlasting purpose, folks!  So, stretch out those branches and bloom!

“Come with Me,”  Jesus says.
“Come abide.  Come rest.  Come claim victory.  Come love… all in My Name!”
"Yes, come share My good, good news to all the world!”

What to do?
Your plans, or His?
Your life, or His?
Your way, or His?

Who is more important than all livelihood, all property, all family, all friends?
Whose Name do you claim?
Whose household do you represent?
Really, who holds your full devotion?

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (Revelation 21:2)

For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:2)

Are you growing in the glory of the Son, believers?  Are you walking in step with the Savior and participating in His most important work which He has commanded you to do?  Are you helping Him as a loyal, devoted helpmate?  Are you desperately desiring to be instrumental to the success of your Husband's daily LIFE?

After all, you are His wife, right?

Blessings!

~Victoria

© The Devoted Woman | Victoria Anderson