Go to the Mountain

My husband introduced me to camping.  Several years ago I had a sudden urge...a desperate urge...to go to the mountain, to get separated and apart from technology, apart from kids, apart from work...and everything else.  I couldn't explain why. All I could do is tell my husband what I needed to do.  He was gracious enough to say, "Okay, let's go." So we went to Beaver's Bend in Oklahoma, which is about 2.5 hours away from our home.

We took a canoe down the river.  There is nothing more awesome than being in the middle of God's creation and We read the Psalms out loud to each other, to nature, to God.  I even sang.  Well...I made a joyful noise unto the Lord...It was a time of bonding, sharing, enjoying each other, enjoying the healing of the Lord that I, and I know my husband, so desperately needed at this point in our marriage. 

We were walking up a mountain hiking trail of intermediate difficulty and the walk was steep.  Very steep.  We reached a point where we sat down on a log to rest.  I was looking around me and could feel the Lord walking with us.  All I could do was ask God to show me how to be better.  That is all I could think of to ask.  I just wanted to be better.  I needed to be a better wife, a better mother, a better sister and a better daughter.  I needed to be able to feel worthy of the love I had in my life, of the man God had given to me, and for the children He had chosen me to rear.  (How funny is that since we cannot be worthy in this life?)

We decided to walk back down the mountain and I was losing track of the trail markers.  On the nature and hiking trails, the state park had painted trail markers on the trees so that hikers and walkers would not go off the trail inadvertently.  Over the years, the weather has made the paint on some of the trees barely visible.  I was walking down in front of my husband and between trying to watch my footing and focus on the trail markers; I was constantly asking my husband if he could see the markers.  Suddenly I heard a still, small voice say, “How can your husband keep you both on the trail when you keep him behind you?  How do you expect him to protect you, or catch you in case you slip or fall?”

           

Suddenly, I knew what the scripture meant:

Eph 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands, as to the Lord.

Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.

Submitting to my husband does not mean that he has total rule over me and I lose my independence.  Submitting to my husband means that he is my leader.  I allow him to walk in front me not behind.  I allow him to give me direction and provide me with stability of leadership.  I allow him to be strong for me.  I submit to his leadership in all things. I have to trust the Lord has given me what He promised me.  I was promised a godly man…a man that could lead his family with strength, in faithfulness, and in the direction the Lord wants us to go.  My husband is that man...He is the man God has promised me. He deserves my respect, my submission...my support.  Anything less and I am violating the Word of God..