A Glass Overfull - Guest Post by Julie Sanders

I am pleased to welcome Julie Sanders as my guest today. Julie ministers to women through her blog Come Have a Peace. You may recognize her from my linkups most Mondays. Please take some time out this week to visit her blog. Scroll down just a bit and you will see a link for her blog.

I love how God will put the right people in our paths at the right time! Julie and I where introduced last year at She Speaks by Melanie Chitwood who is an author and speaker with Proverbs 31 Ministries. Just an hour or so before Julie & I met God began nudging me with the thought of starting a blog & focusing on Marriage. Julie has been a mentor and has quickly become a dear friend. Thank you Julie for sharing with us today.

A Glass Overfull

I was deep in thought as I poured drinks for dinner.  My husband got home late from the office and seemed preoccupied, like his thoughts were full and far away. I wanted his attention and his help. His mental load had been heavy that week, and I struggled with feeling like I just wanted him to dump his load. Before I knew it, all of my mulling led to a mess, as water overflowed onto the counter and over the edge. I was adding to an overfull glass.

Ephesians 5:33 speaks to the husband and the wife, “However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”  When our husband is overfull, it’s an opportunity for us to respect him with gentle care and understanding.

As I wiped up the wet floor, I realized that we were in a time when my husband was “at capacity.”  His “glass” was mentally and otherwise full.  Working my way up the dripping cabinet door, I was eye level with the glass. The water was so full that it formed a slight bubble. I knew that if I carelessly jiggled or bumped it, the glass would overflow. If I lacked gentleness, it would result in a bigger mess.  When our husband is overfull, he needs the gentle care and understanding of a respectful wife.

Sometimes we know our husband is “at capacity,” yet in our desire to be loved or to help drain some of the excess, we actually add to the glass. We may be well meaning, but our impatience or lack of understanding may only make our loved one feel more overwhelmed.  This doesn’t mean we make “over filling” life’s glass a habit, but it means that when we see we’re full, we respond with care. Love is patient and kind, not selfish or rough. It’s one way we actively show our husband we respect his work, his mental load, the responsibility he feels, and his needs.

And don’t worry that the glass will always need such delicate care …. Life naturally evaporates!

How full is your husband’s “glass” right now?

How are you showing him respect as you care for him in heavy times?

Thank you Julie! I want to also ask you to be in prayer for Julie. She left on Saturday for a 9 day mission trip oversees. Pray for safety for Julie and for peace for her family while she is away.

In His Calm,

Mary