Earlier this summer we went a number of weeks in this area without any substantial rain. I don’t believe that a full-on drought was ever declared, but we did have a burn ban in Lancaster County and it seemed like water restrictions were getting set to be announced. Thankfully the weather pattern changed and my quickly browning yard is once again green. Like many men, I take great pride in having a well-kept lawn. During my teen years my dad had a side business mowing lawns, and I helped out. The lawns always had to look just right. If a lawn didn’t pass inspection, I was sent back to bring it up to the standards my dad had set.
Although it is often far from picture-perfect, I’ve always spent a lot of time mowing and trimming and making sure the flower beds have nice edges to them with my own lawn. I guess I have the same standards as my dad!
There was a time a number of years ago when the weather pattern was full of rain and the combination of wet weather and a busy ministry schedule prevented me from getting to the lawn for a while. It had gotten quite “shaggy” looking and was really starting to get on my nerves.
Finally, a free and dry evening appeared on the calendar and I was going to be able to get the outside work done. At the last minute, however, another commitment arose for that night. I was frustrated (and I mean really frustrated), because rain was again in the forecast for the next day and it looked like my lawn would only continue to grow out of control. Resigned to my fate, I came home that night prepared to be repulsed by the sight of my unkempt grass.
Imagine my surprise, then, when I drove up to a freshly manicured lawn! Mary had realized how much the lawn was bothering me and mowed it earlier in the day. As I looked at our lawn a lot of feelings hit me at once. I felt surprised, I felt joy, but most of all, I felt loved.
Without a doubt, helping is one of the best ways that we can demonstrate our love to our spouse. We talked about this a couple of weeks ago – Genesis 2:18 says “The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” One of the main roles that God wants us to fulfill for our spouse is that of a “help-mate.” God never designed marriage to mean that one spouse does all the work. He expects us to help each other out. Of course, the problem with fulfilling that expectation is that it is a lot more fun to focus on being “mates” than it is on being helpers!
The great thing about this love language is that we are never lacking opportunities to speak it! Whether it is doing household chores together (and getting rid of any preconceived notions of what is “the woman’s work” and what is “the man’s work”), taking care of the kids’ needs so our spouse gets a break, or simply doing a job without being asked, being help-mates to each other has a bounty of benefits. It strengthens the marriage relationship, it allows us to spend time together, it helps keep the day to day “work” of life manageable for everyone, and it can even help in the more intimate areas of our marriage!
How have you acted as a “help-mate” to your spouse this week?
Here’s what’s happening:
- Men’s Breakfast is THIS SATURDAY (7/29) at Hometown Kitchen at 8 am. Join my boys and I for some eggs and pancakes!
- VBS Week is in full swing! Tonight and tomorrow night from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. Adult Class is in the sanctuary from 7:15 – 8:15. Thank you to all who are helping things run smoothly!
- THIS SUNDAY – Once again we will be closing our time together with a baptism service. Our quarterly fellowship meal will follow the baptisms. Please bring a hot and a cold dish (or 2!) to share if you are able.
- We are having a time of coffee and fellowship starting at 9:30 am each Sunday in July and August! Thank you to all who are providing the snacks!
- My family will be spending much of the next two weeks at our tiny cabin (#13) at Rawlinsville Camp Meeting. Services and activities for all ages every day in the morning, afternoon and evenings. There are a few Camp booklets in the lobby if you’d like to come on out. I will be serving as the morning Bible Study teacher during the second week of Camp and teaching a modified version of my sermon series on Moses from last fall.
This Sunday we are looking at the spiritual discipline of fellowship. Many people believe that fellowship is just another term for friendship, but as we will see there is much more to fellowship than being buddies with someone! We’ll look at what the Bible has to say about fellowship, why its’ important, and what it looks like in the context of the church family.
It’s going to be another great Sunday at the Bridge! Invite someone to join us!
Scott
P.S. – As I mentioned during the first message of this series, I know that I am throwing a lot of verses at you each morning, and those of you who are note takers might be getting frustrated. My sermon notes are always available, and I’ll be happy to share them with you if you didn’t get something jotted down.