wife of noble character ...is worth far more than rubies. —Proverbs31:10 (NIV)
Our pastor and his wife are leaving soon. John and Diane were married in our church about fifteen years ago. I am grateful for what John has done for me and our entire congregation during those years. He comforted me when my mom died and again when my dad died five years later. He visited me in the hospital when I broke my collarbone and when I needed a stent. Those times and so many more, I thanked him for what he did.
I never thought to thank Diane, though. Diane has shared John with our church and the entire community throughout their marriage. John is a firefighter and an EMT, so he responds to physical and spiritual emergencies.
Whenever we invited our pastor to our home, we always invited John and Diane. So why was it such a breach of etiquette to exclude someone’s spouse from my home but not from my heart? I asked myself. Only on the last week did I thank Diane for her generosity and vigilant behind-the-scenes prayer each time I saw her. I don’t know why I was so slow to catch on.
