If you were to call me at home, you might get to talk to Jeannie.
I don’t answer the phone when I’m home. It’s one of the things we’ve learned over years and years of ministry. She knows when to put the emergency call through and she knows when to take a message for me to return the call later.
Jeannie, as my wife, has become a protector of my time and rest. She’ll make sure I get the rest I need and the down time I need to serve my church the best way I can.
When our boys were little, sometimes they would be just too much. If you’re a stay-at-home mom, I don’t have to say any more. I would come in the house, take one look at her face, grab the boys up and take them somewhere. We would go to the pet store to see the puppies, or just go grab a hamburger. I would take the boys away from Jeannie long enough for her to take a hot bath, make some phone calls, or just collapse.
Life is hard and sometimes; it just gets the best of us. We run out of gas. We have no more to give. All of us need regular times of restoration and healing. All of us need down time.
Sometimes, loving your spouse means standing guard, putting yourself between them and the rest of world. No one is more important than your spouse. Whatever the demands are can wait until your husband or wife is rested, restored and ready.
Until they are – stand guard.
