My path or yours......
Did you think the ministry would be like it is? For each of us (pastor's wives, staff wives, youth wives) it is different but did you think it would be like it is. For some of us it is a time of great joy. For some of us it is good. For some of us it is a daily trial that feels as though it will never end. We are all walking a similar path, what our spouses do is for the glory of God but our circumstances around us are all different. Each of us have experienced highs. When everything is going to so it feels like Satan is miles away bothering someone else. (little did we know that is when he is attacking most) Each of us have experienced lows. (if you haven't just wait they will come your way) Lows that feel like you are at the bottom of the barrel trying to claw your way out. But again we are all still walking similar paths.
I say all that because so many times in talking to other ministry wives we all think the other one has it really good. I mean she has her game face on, she is dressed perfectly, her kids are clean and dressed, her kids behave in church, her husband is pressed and ready to lead the flock in God's word.....it really looks like she has it all together. But does she??!! Most of the time NO. She is just like you and me. She deals with kids fighting, a bad hair day, breakfast down the kids clothes before church, her husbands favorite shirt isn't clean, she is the last one to shower and get ready, she can't find her shoes, the kids shoes or her Bible. We each face the same things just at different times. But yet we all compare ourselves to each other. I know all women compare themselves to each other but in the ministry we (the wives) find ourselves comparing ourselves to other ministry wives and we are too hard on ourselves if we feel we don't measure up.
Travis and I attended a pastor's conference this past weekend in Carson Springs, TN. As I walked in I saw 5 other wives who I immediately began to size myself up against. Without even knowing them or speaking to them I began to compare myself as a wife, a mother and a PW to them. (man was Satan at work) 2 of them were cute at buttons, had their hair just so, cute clothes on, make up done and so on. The other 3 were "normal". They looked like they had gotten their kids to a sitter for the night, remembered they forgot to pack xyz and looked like they were just happy to be away for a night. Then there was me. I had on a cute empire waist shirt, clean (important for functions) jeans, a little make up from that morning and hair everywhere. As I sized them up, I began to feel like what I was about to bring to this conference wasn't going to be good enough, it wasn't going to matter because these other ladies had it figured out. Oh was I wrong.....as usual. These other ladies were walking a path I had already walked, were on the same path as I am. They too came in with the same feeling as I did and did the same thing I did. WE ALL DO IT......JUST ADMIT IT.
Our 2 "seasoned" couples (these were 2 couples who have been the ministry 20+ years, who weren't much older than us) looked as though they had it all together too. However, as this weekend progressed we found out, they don't. They too are like us. Walking the same paths we have walked or are walking them currently. WOW! That was hard for my brain to wrap around. This PW who serves at a church of 1100+ and she doesn't have it all together. I was baffled. But I got real time with this PW to hear her trials, her highs, her lows and her heard her say she is clawing her way from the bottom of a barrel right now. Oh my heart broke for her. Even though she has been in the ministry for more than 20 years she too still hits the lowest of lows. She too still has to crawl her way back out. She too is on a similar path as me. Thank you God for bringing this PW in my life. She has wisdom for things I haven't encountered yet but I was able to share my knowledge of how I crawled out of the barrel she is in now. Who knew that I would have already walked the path is on now and she has walked the path I am entering. It was blessing!
I say all that because so many times in talking to other ministry wives we all think the other one has it really good. I mean she has her game face on, she is dressed perfectly, her kids are clean and dressed, her kids behave in church, her husband is pressed and ready to lead the flock in God's word.....it really looks like she has it all together. But does she??!! Most of the time NO. She is just like you and me. She deals with kids fighting, a bad hair day, breakfast down the kids clothes before church, her husbands favorite shirt isn't clean, she is the last one to shower and get ready, she can't find her shoes, the kids shoes or her Bible. We each face the same things just at different times. But yet we all compare ourselves to each other. I know all women compare themselves to each other but in the ministry we (the wives) find ourselves comparing ourselves to other ministry wives and we are too hard on ourselves if we feel we don't measure up.
Travis and I attended a pastor's conference this past weekend in Carson Springs, TN. As I walked in I saw 5 other wives who I immediately began to size myself up against. Without even knowing them or speaking to them I began to compare myself as a wife, a mother and a PW to them. (man was Satan at work) 2 of them were cute at buttons, had their hair just so, cute clothes on, make up done and so on. The other 3 were "normal". They looked like they had gotten their kids to a sitter for the night, remembered they forgot to pack xyz and looked like they were just happy to be away for a night. Then there was me. I had on a cute empire waist shirt, clean (important for functions) jeans, a little make up from that morning and hair everywhere. As I sized them up, I began to feel like what I was about to bring to this conference wasn't going to be good enough, it wasn't going to matter because these other ladies had it figured out. Oh was I wrong.....as usual. These other ladies were walking a path I had already walked, were on the same path as I am. They too came in with the same feeling as I did and did the same thing I did. WE ALL DO IT......JUST ADMIT IT.
Our 2 "seasoned" couples (these were 2 couples who have been the ministry 20+ years, who weren't much older than us) looked as though they had it all together too. However, as this weekend progressed we found out, they don't. They too are like us. Walking the same paths we have walked or are walking them currently. WOW! That was hard for my brain to wrap around. This PW who serves at a church of 1100+ and she doesn't have it all together. I was baffled. But I got real time with this PW to hear her trials, her highs, her lows and her heard her say she is clawing her way from the bottom of a barrel right now. Oh my heart broke for her. Even though she has been in the ministry for more than 20 years she too still hits the lowest of lows. She too still has to crawl her way back out. She too is on a similar path as me. Thank you God for bringing this PW in my life. She has wisdom for things I haven't encountered yet but I was able to share my knowledge of how I crawled out of the barrel she is in now. Who knew that I would have already walked the path is on now and she has walked the path I am entering. It was blessing!
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