Before I met David and started on this crazy adventure towards wife-dom, I had a sense that my time last year was to be spent learning to become a wife: how to take care of a house, shop for groceries, consistently do laundry (including actually folding the loads immediately after they're finished), and last but not least learning to cook (more specifically, follow a recipe).
I know, some of you reading will be thinking "that's not what it's all about", and I totally agree! BUT, I have always loved that part of the role of a wife: the caretaker, the one who is come home to, the one who makes the extravagantly fancy 3 course meals (at least in the days before popping out babes), the one who supports her man in all that he is, and the one who is given the responsibility of trusting her God so generously that she in turn can trust her earthly mate and in full submission, follow his lead.
The wife is in no way weak, but a mighty and strong helper. Sometimes that strength is perfected in her willingness to be gentle and quiet, yet, most of the time, her strength is found in her personality; her confident unwavering capability to be loud and silly, playful and altogether fun. She is able to abide in all that she is, not trying to be anything more or anything less because her main role in marriage is to give herself fully to her husband.
I have never before felt so encouraged to be Natalie as I have these past 8 months with David; even more so in this past week as we have become one in marriage.
I am finding that in being the one who does the dishes, cooks the meals, cleans the house, (eventually) nurses the babies, and all those "womanly" things, I get to also be the one to strengthen and uphold my husband, in a way that no other person can.
David has told me more than once that He wants to provide fully for me and our future family (p.s. don't get your hopes up, those babies aren't coming till far off in the future). He sees it as his role to love me by laying down his life for me.
So, you see, I will gladly do anything and everything for him. If I make every meal for him for the rest of our life, it will be an easy task, because I am confident that I am not defined by what I do for him, but what I am to him and with him.
Being a wife is great.
And just to add humor to the mix of this serious post (which, I will mention, was originally intended to be devoted to my inability to successfully make an omelet), it is highly important for you to know that the whole time I've been sitting her writing, my David -- the love of my life, my husband -- has been scrubbing away at pots and pans and even toilets.
I love you David Rans!
Happy Wifing!