This may not be the case for all wedded women, but for me, I can tell you there is one thing I frequently forget to even bathe in prayer when it comes to my husband: his emotions. This may sound silly, but the honest truth is I do: I'm pretty sure the words, "Do you have emotions?," have escaped my lips one too many times. (And no, I am not saying any form of that question is a good one to ask. I highly do not recommend it.)
You see, I married a wonderful, even-keeled man. As such, I'm pretty sure his face look the same in anger, excitement, sorrow, joy, you name it, his face and body language won't change much. Or, to confuse me even more, when he's angry he'll have the same face he had when he was sad just a few days before, when he's excited it will be the exact same as his normal daily face.
Now please understand, I am not bashing my husband. I need an even-keeled person because I show enough emotion for at least two people. It just becomes frustrating when everything looks the same. It is hard to see there is emotion under a surface almost always doused in optimism. (No, that isn't a joke. And friends, just like realism is a blessing and a curse - the lens I typically see life through - so is optimism. The only aspect of this life cracked up to be what it really is is Jesus. Umm...did I just say it like that? The only part of this life which is a complete blessing and, though has many hardships, holds no curse with it is a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.)
Anyway...
So I forget he has emotions. Sounds quite silly, but it's completely true. Thus, I completely forget to pray against negative emotions which have found their way into Ben's soul. I don't think it helps he is typically looking at a glass as half-full; shoot, he sees it as one-quarter full. If there is something in it, it is whatever amount is left full. And so prayers over stress, worry, anger, jealousy, hopelessness, fear, what have you all fall to the wayside.
Then when he does happen to show some emotion, I wonder what on earth is eating him. I wonder where on earth it came from because it almost always seems to be out of the blue, yet I'm being told he's been struggling for a while.
Thankfully, we are both growing through this. He is learning to be more in tune with his emotions, I am learning to see just because he doesn't show emotion or even show it in a way I readily comprehend does not mean emotions aren't buried deep with no need to be addressed.
Though the emotions Stormie has stories for in this chapter aren't ones Ben typically struggles with, I did like what she says at the very end of it:
"Often [negative emotions] are only a habitual way of thinking that has been given place over time. Men tend to believe it's part of their character that can't be altered, but these patterns can be broken. Don't stand by and watch your husband be manipulated by his emotions. Freedom may be just a prayer away." (p. 161)
Whether our husbands are great at showing their emotions or better at keeping them locked deep within, emotions deserve to be covered in prayer. God wants our whole hearts; any emotion not from Him or stealing our focus away from Him should not be given home in our hearts.
It is my hope and prayer, for myself as well as for all of us, to bathe my own emotions as well as my husbands in communication with my Father, who loves me and wants what is best for me, and who also wants the same for my husband. May I not forget to pray for even that which seems to not be a struggle.
___________________________________________________________
Here are the rest of my posts from this 30 week series I've done on praying for my husband:
No comments:
Post a Comment
I appreciate you taking time to comment :) I do not allow anonymous comments. Thank you for understanding!