Skip to main content

Marriage Monday - Becoming Joined To the In Laws...



It seems lately that things I've participated in are mostly marriage related!  Perhaps I need a lot of help to be  a better wife!! When I saw the topic for this month's Marriage Monday, I knew I needed to jump in on this one.  "The Wisdom of Our Elders is Welcome (in Small Doses)" is an opportunity to share about joining families together and how we entwined our lives not only with the husband, but also with his family. 

I have freely shared in the past how blessed I am that God placed me into this family. As a mother to teenage boys presently, I have an even greater appreciation for my in laws and the grace and kindness they extended to me years ago.   My husband came from a wholesome, simple country living family.  I was a city girl who was running with the wrong crowd and came from a very dysfunctional family.  Only God's grace could have matched my husband and I!  I"m sure my mother in law must have cringed when her son brought me over!  But she accepted me with love and grace and lived out the example of a godly wife and mother before me, which was something I had never seen modeled before. 

Due to the influence of my in laws, my husband and I though we were still dating, began to attend church.  The Holy Spirit convicted us that we were sinners and on the same night, we accepted the Lord Jesus as our Savior.  We purposed together and planned to live out a committed Christian marriage. 

Through the years, my appreciation and admiration for my in laws continues to grow.  They live close by to us and are very involved in our lives, but are never intrusive.  They offer wise counsel when consulted and offer abundant love and support to their grandchildren.  Through the years they offer practical wisdom for everyday living from cooking, keeping a home, raising children, living responsible and wholesome through simple country life, but they mostly walk beside us and show us the ways.  So, truly their wisdom is welcome and they offer it in small doses, but truly walk the walk and model for us how wisdom works and that is something we want generations to come to pattern after. 

His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.  Luke 1:50


Labels:

Comments

  1. JenniferJuly 13, 2010 at 9:22 AM

    What a blessing! Both of my husband's parents had passed away before we even met - so I've never had in-laws, which makes me sad. Such a special part of my husband that I never really knew. So wonderful that you love and appreciate your in-laws so much...many do not have such a good relationship.

    Happy Tuesday:)

    ReplyDelete
  2. SusannahJuly 13, 2010 at 12:03 PM

    You have bragging rights, indeed! It must have been a huge transition to go from living in the city... to living in the country. You're blessed to have these dear folks show you the way. I look forward to meeting your in-laws in heaven.

    Thanks for joining us for Marriage Monday, Joyfull. ღ

    ReplyDelete
  3. JamieJuly 13, 2010 at 2:16 PM

    Thank you for reminding me today about my wonderful mother-in-love! My own mother and I have a rough relationship, but my MIL and I are incredibly close. Everyday, she finds ways to encourage and support me. I try to reciprocate that for her by loving her son and grandchildren well, as well as listening to her non-intrusive advice and wisdome.

    I am truly blessed! I hope I can be that for my future daughter-in-laws.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Carol J. AlexanderJuly 13, 2010 at 7:14 PM

    My inlaws have been such a blessing in my life. My father-in-law has gone on to heaven, but Mom is still there for Godly wisdom and counsel. But I want to say, that even my unsaved mother is a wise older woman in my life and those of my sisters. Don't overlook the potential of a mother-in-law without Christ.

    ReplyDelete
  5. DeniseJuly 13, 2010 at 8:22 PM

    Precious reminder, bless you.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thank you for sharing your commment. It is a joy and blessing to hear from you and your words are appreciated.

Popular posts from this blog

Sometimes We Score, Sometimes We Block

Our family is in the midst of little league soccer season. My youngest son is playing and his enthusiasm is contagious. He is pretty good at the sport, but what makes it so great is that he loves it! He counts the days until the next game or practice. He loves his coach and teammates. He has moved up an age level this year and the players are working more like team, passing to each other and watching out for each other during play. During the last game, my son scored two goals, they were the only goals of the game. In today's game the team scored eight goals. My son came up afterwards to me and said, "I didn't score today, but I blocked". What a powerful truth those words can hold. In life, sometimes we score, sometimes we block. Sometimes we do great things, we excel, we achieve, we meet our goal - we score! There are also times we see the needs of others, sometimes they are sad or hurting, we block their hits. We look out for them so they can score. We
17 comments
Read more

Relationships and Redemption

In every friendship or relationship, there is a common hope that they will grow and flourish. There is something inside of us that longs for a 'happy every after' story. We dream about it and work to make that happen. But in reality, relationships are a challenge. The bridging of values, lifestyles, interests and sacrificing for another are simply hard things to do! No matter how much we dream of the perfect fit, some relationships will not endure the stress.  When differences appear and tensions arise, prayer can change situations, attitudes and ourselves. For the Christian, we know God can transform, change, heal. We cannot change others, but prayer opens us the door for God to step in and answer. God desires transformation, but does not demand it. The gift of free will allows us to choose to say Yes or No to Him.  Romans 12:18 says, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Take notice of the first two words: “If possible …” This implies that some
Post a Comment
Read more

A Blank Page - A Great Way to Fill It

A blank page - that is the first view of a new blog post. It has been a while since I have faced the blank page of my little blog! A blank page can bring a variety of emotions - emptiness, anxiety, pressure to perform or emotions such as inspiration, encouragement or simply bursting to share something. But there is always something fresh and exciting about the blank page of a New Year. Happy 2023! This is always a time in my life where inspiration and plans are formed and ready to be implemented for greater change. Aspirations may start strong, but alone do not make a difference. It takes consistency to create change. The changing or adding small habits is a key to great changes. A habit that has been beneficial in my life for many years is rising early. It began when the children were small and was the only pocket of time I had to myself. Through the years, mornings have become my favorite time of the day. Now that my husband and I are empty nesters, we go to bed early and rise early.
Post a Comment
Read more