Last week Bobby and I celebrated 38 years of marriage!!! We dated four years prior to our marriage so that adds up to 42 years together!!!!! Whew! We were so young and absolutely clueless of many things when we married but I am so thankful for my hubby and our journey together.
Bobby and I met in high school during summer band when I was 15. Little did I know that day when our eyes caught a glimpse of each other for the very first time that I would end up as a pastor's wife..........
Are pastor's wives called to the ministry? In my heart I feel that answer has to be a big "YES". I am certain many women would disagree with me but Bobby and I have been in ministry for 30 years and honestly, if I would not have been called, I would have convinced Bobby to change professions a very long time ago!
For 18 years I worked in Corporate America. I spent many hours commuting when my children were small. I was very much career minded, focused primarily on climbing the corporate ladder to success. Am I saying that is wrong? Not necessarily, but as I look back over my life, I know now that God wasn't first on my priority list for many years even as a pastor's wife. How can that happen when you are serving in ministry? Too much emphasis was placed on my career and what I wanted.
There was little consideration for what God's plan for my life was in the early years of our ministry. I spent countless hours taking evening classes at the local community college and attending leadership conferences and seminars. I was also very involved in Professional Women's Groups. Very little of my time was committed to serving the Lord or focusing on my role as a pastor's wife.
There was little consideration for what God's plan for my life was in the early years of our ministry. I spent countless hours taking evening classes at the local community college and attending leadership conferences and seminars. I was also very involved in Professional Women's Groups. Very little of my time was committed to serving the Lord or focusing on my role as a pastor's wife.
Bobby was an associate pastor during most of my career years. Did I have any idea what was going on in his ministry or the church? Honestly, in the early years of our ministry, very little. I was a young inexperienced pastor's wife that had absolutely no clue what I was supposed to be doing in my role. I was dealing with so many feelings of hurt, insecurity and intimidation and my out was to bury myself in my career. I didn't have a mentor to encourage and pray with me.Those were some very lonely years.
Because of those lonely years in ministry and also the insecurity and hurt I experienced for a long time, mentorship is very dear to my heart. It is vital for ministry women to mentor and encourage one another. In my opinion, it is one of the necessary keys to our survival and success in ministry. I have committed much of my ministry to mentoring women and ministry women.
As a pastor's wife it is our responsibility to support our husband in ministry. We must be there to love him and encourage him. And I wholeheartedly believe that God does call us to this role. I have seen pastors who are doing this thing alone and it is a struggle for many of them. I know how difficult it has been at times for Bobby and I. I can't imagine trying to deal with some of the ministry issues we have faced as a couple on your own. Am I implying that pastor's wives cannot obtain a successful career and still be a support to her husband? Not at all but I do believe that there must be a balance between the career and your ministry responsibilities.
I left Corporate America over 18 years ago with absolutely no regrets. God called me to the ministry as a young girl and I am so thankful that I was able to get my priorities in order before it was to late. God is using my life in ways I never imagined and He continually opens doors for ministry.
Marriage is not always an easy journey and when you add ministry to the equation it can sometimes become extremely stressful and challenging. But if you place God first in your lives, He will help to navigate you through the challenges you will face throughout the years. The Lord has blessed Bobby and I in so many ways. I am so thankful for the man of God that the Lord has given to me. I look forward to growing older together...... lol
Blessings friends. Have a wonderful day!
