My eyes fluttered open as he moved quietly through the bedroom getting ready for work. I always had been a light sleeper, so despite his gentle steps I still woke as he moved about. Within a few minutes, he came to my side and laid a goodbye kiss upon my lips.
“Have a good day, sweetie.” He whispered. “Love you.”
It wasn’t the kind of goodbye I liked. I enjoyed the mornings where we could linger a bit over coffee together before he headed out for the day, but all week he had been required to go into work early for large orders. He said it was a good thing, and I trusted that. But I hadn’t missed the fact of how tired he’d been at the end of the day. My hard worker was typically gone from wake up until bedtime for our household of young children.
I couldn’t fall back asleep after the sound of the door latching at his departure, and despite the lovely yumminess of my cool covers, I pried my awoken self from the mattress. All the children still slept, and the quietness of our home in the early morning hours held a divine feeling all its own. As I walked into the bathroom my mind was bombarded with all the things I wanted to accomplish that day. Though I wasn’t leaving the home [as] my husband had done, I still worked very hard in my own right.
I managed the home, and all that entails, while also seeing to the plentiful needs of three children ranging in ages from one to six. I taught the eldest two preschool and first grade from the dining room table, and in the in-between times, I ran a successful skincare business from home. I had meals to prepare, laundry to fold, a team of entrepreneurs underneath me to reach out to, and a business presentation that evening. I had promised a field trip to the library, and I couldn’t forget the fact that I wanted to make time for myself to read the Bible and workout. Staying home with my children was the best decision I had ever made, but I don’t think I had ever been busier in my life! As I made my way to the bathroom, all these thoughts and responsibilities rushing through my mind, I felt the Lord speak to me.
Don’t forget about him.
My husband. My partner. My best friend. The man who I saw the least in any given workday. Out of all the many tasks I had to complete and things to which I poured out my heart, he was the one that held the highest priority. He was the one I needed to not just “don’t forget,” but the one that I truly needed to pour out to the most. It was easy in the day-to-day rush to become comfortable with the easy rhythm we maintained as husband and wife. After all, he wouldn’t mind if he didn’t hear from me today. He’d understand I had my hands full. But I wanted better for our relationship. I wanted him to know that the thought of us was on my mind.
I realized that out of all the things I wanted to put effort into this morning for my small business, or all the team members I wanted to speak to, that he was the one I should focus on first. I didn’t need to neglect the part of my life that held the highest precedence. I didn’t need to put it on a shelf for later.
I started immediately with intercession. I prayed for my husband. I prayed for his safety, and his health of course. I prayed that he’d have a good day at work, for wisdom, and for favor. But I also listened to the Lord on his behalf. I prayed for those things, the things I felt God leading me to pray for.
Then I reached out to my husband. Nothing fancy. Just a simple text. Yet it held two important things in its contents. First, it let him know that he was on my mind, that he was loved, and that he was worth my time. Secondly, I let him know that he was appreciated. I let him know that his efforts for our family did not go unnoticed, and that I was proud of him and to be his wife each and every single day. It wasn’t a long text, just a short one, but I think it spoke volumes simply in its action.
“You have no idea how much that means to me.” He answered back. “Thank you.”
And with that, I made sure he wasn’t forgotten. I ensured that despite the hectic pace of life I didn’t neglect to feed into my marriage. After all, it was the thing that fed me most. When life handed us troubles, or even when it handed us joy, he was the one I wanted to share that with. He was the one I wanted to remember in the moments when my day seemed to be spinning too fast.
