I recently bruised and sprained my foot badly and now have
been confined to bed and recliner. During this time, my wife has gladly tended
to my needs. As a result, my respect and estimation for her has grown.
However, I tend to be negative, and so this heightened
respect for Anita has come slowly. It has also grown with the self-awareness of
my own moral failures and how I’d probably begrudge it if the tables had been
turned, and I’d have to care for Anita.
I say this with great shame, even as Anita reassures me that
I have been a great husband.
This disability – and I hope it’s just very temporary – has reminded
me about the need for brokenness and suffering. It has also reminded me of the
beauty of women, and how our Lord has so exquisitely formed them.
Left on our own, we tend to become proud, self-reliant, and
take our relationships for granted. Therefore, we need to be constantly
disciplined by our Lord to prevent these things from happening:
·
“For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and
chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to
endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does
not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have
participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we
have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not
much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us
for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good,
that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful
rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness
to those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:6-11)
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