stealing away with my wife

Having 6 kids is one of the most rewarding things my wife and I have ever done, even if it did seem, after the 3rd or 4th, that I was doing a lot of standing around while she did all the hard work. Seems like I got off easy.

But that’s not what this post is about.

This post is about why you might need to get away with your spouse.

As I scribble these English letters, my wife and I are sitting in a hotel room in Asheville, North Carolina, having just returned from watching the Colts beat the Titans on a big screen in a sports bar. We played Boggle after that (Yes, I did win again!). Today, we walked the streets, poked our head into shops, and listened on the sidewalk to an 11 year old play a mean fiddle while his big brother strummed the mandolin. We tossed some money in their case.

This morning, we worshiped together, and we ate breakfast.

Simple pleasures, yep. But oh, so necessary for our souls.

All those kids she worked so hard on stayed at home this time. Not because we don’t love ‘em… In fact, we REALLY miss ‘em. But because…

Sometimes it’s just good for a husband and wife to remember a few things…

1) We can laugh, just the two of us. At each other; with each other.

2) We can worship Jesus together, just the two of us. We don’t have to have our staff, and we don’t have to be in a church meeting.

3) We can walk down the street arm in arm. We may not be Olympians anymore, but we’re still pretty spry. And being together returns a little spring to our step.

4) We can stay up really late playing games.

5) We haven’t forgotten how to talk over a meal.

6) I am struck again by how much my perfect wife loves to giggle.

7) We really love to talk about our kids. They give us joy and fill our lives. (But, we still like each other a whole lot, too.)

8) My wife still doesn’t like coffee. I guess she never will. And I still don’t like water, and probably never will.

9) My wife is awesome about leaving some of her meal on her plate so I get to eat 1.5 meals everywhere we go.

10) My wife loves to make fun of me. This is good, and evidently I keep her around by doing lots of stupid and goofy stuff.

Perhaps you have forgotten some things about your significant other.

I get busy. Being a dad, being a pastor, being a coach, being a reader, being a runner, being a writer, being a…

…Forgetter of my wife.

(Thanks to my church staff for arranging for, and allowing us, to get away for these 3 days.)

10 December 2010 ·