Thursday, December 20, 2007

Name this Man!

I've got to run out and finish the rest of my shopping and it will be an assortment of things. I need: a standing Rib Roast for the Christmas Day dinner, Nyquil for Alex -because he's sick with a bad cold again, more Laundry Detergent -because I have a mountain of laundry I have to do and Bill is out of clean socks, leaving for work with an old pair on this morning and nary a complaint. That blessed man of mine.

I was telling him about some of the blogs I've been reading and how interesting their lives are. One blog writer who lives on a ranch refers to her husband as Marlboro Man. I felt provoked to come up with a name that reflects my husband better. "Bill" just doesn't cut it.

"You're way more interesting than that," I told my husband, trying to explain why I needed a better name for him, at least when it came to my blog chronicles. I explained about the woman calling her husband Marlboro Man, and how I wanted a name for him that would depict him accurately in all his muscular glory and all his skill and ability.

"How about Apple Tree Man, and I could hold a gallon of cider in my one hand, flexing my arm muscles?" he asked, thinking of the Apple Orchard he'd like to have one day.

"No way," I said. "You'd sound like Johnny Appleseed. We need a name that has a tool in it because you're a remodeling machine, a man of the howling hammer and the prodigious paintbrush, a man with an eye for detail and...."

"A man who's late," he said, interrupting me, grabbing his lunch pail and running down the stairs to the garage. Minutes later I hear his truck pulling out of the driveway.

My husband just does not give a lot of thought to his image or his public persona. He is too busy working, providing, keeping his commitments to people. He has the patience of Job- and has experienced waves of financial and circumstantial loss, as Job did. Yet he is still whistling a tune, loving me when I am cranky, being firm and patient with our son, and a puddle of weakness with our daughter (I already told you she has more "dates" with her Dad than I do!).

So in spite of the Christmas presents under my tree, one of the best presents I have snores lightly next to me on cold winter nights. The gift is not just a loving, faithful husband, but the realization that I have one. It's such a keen realization, lately-I'm relieved to have wound up with him. It makes me see that canopy of grace, again, that I am under. God has flooded me with blessings- and better than that, I am getting "eyes" to see those blessings.

In spite of my old age, my vision is getting clearer.

8 comments:

MrsProverbs31 said...

Wow! It's wonderful to have your spouse standing behind, beside, ahead and around you as you serve. God bless you.

Anonymous said...

How about "Leatherman".....this is the name of a handy pocket tool that can be worn on your belt, be with you at all times, and can fix, improve or help build just about anything!

LAUREN at Faith Fuel said...

Leatherman, hmmmm- that's a possibility. It could also make him sound like a tough riding motorcyclist! :)
(He did use to have a small motorcycle before we married, but swore off on riding when he became a family man. Too dangerous, he said.)

Angie said...

What a great guy! God bless him!

Kim S in SC said...

Oh, great post! Makes me want to run and give my own hubby an extra squeeze!
I love to hear it when spouses honor one another! Such a great encouragement!
Kim

deni said...

Thanks Lauren for the nice compliment, but believe me, if I had a choice yesterday, I certainly wouldn't have been cleaning bathrooms, as it was, it was my only day off and I had no choice. Besides, when I look around I don't see anyone volunteering, so it's left up to me or else nothing would ever get done.

Now I am trying to think of a name for my man!

Anonymous said...

As usual, a wonderful, thought provoking post. God has truly blessed you with the gift of using words to their highest capacity.

You hear so much about the battle of the sexes that you wonder if you didn't understand scriptures about being evenly yoked, or if maybe you think your perfect union is some abnormal phenom. I think you should name that marvelous man of yours the Level, it seems he does such a great job of keeping you on an even keel. Have a wonderful and blessed Christmas.

LAUREN at Faith Fuel said...

Loveable-
"The Level"- hmmmm, that sounds like a good name for my husband!! He uses the level a lot.