Make Him Breakfast

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     I will be honest, I did not always make my man breakfast.  I still do not always make him breakfast.  I have also struggled, through the years, with making him lunches and dinners.  Sometimes, it is due to illness.  Other times, it is because I am out of town.  There is the rare occasion, wherein I am truly too busy to do so.  However, most of the time, it is due to lack of proper use of my time.

     Yet, when I have purposed to fulfill my calling as his help meet, and, specifically, ensuring he has a good meal in him, there is such a sense of satisfaction that is a blessing all its own!  The delight and pleasure Dear shows is just a bonus!

     I know.  Someone reading will think I am oppressed, antiquated, and actually promoting a wife to serve her man.  You would be correct, on two of those points.

     I am promoting a servant's heart amongst God-fearing women.  In this day of "our rights," even we believers have forgotten, or even eschewed, seeking to bless others by putting their needs above our own.  We have forgotten the blessed Saviour's example, His commands, and His blessings for obeying Him.  We talk a great deal about the woman in Proverbs 31, especially her commendation in the last verses.  Yet, those praises did not just spring up overnight.  They came after all those previous works mentioned earlier in the chapter.

     There is also much discussion about being women described in Titus 2 and 1 Peter 3.  However, what does it mean to love our husbands, and our children (if you have any)?  What does love look like?  1 Corinthians gives a great example of love in action; a.k.a., charity. 

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."
1 Corinthians 13

     

     Another great set of verses, that help us truly consider what is coming issuing forth from our hearts, is found in here:  

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."

Galatians 5:22-23 

If we (I include myself, here) scoff at the idea of serving our husband, our families, and fill-in-the-blank, we ought to really examine our hearts.

     I have struggled, at times, with keeping a heart of service:  of putting others before myself.  I have found that when I expect gratitude, and do not receive it; or, have any expectation (s) dashed, I can become bitter.  It deflates me.  Yet, I also realize that when I keep my focus on my Saviour:  seeing my service to others as unto Him, then I have the strength and resilience needed to "keep on keepin' on," regardless of recognition!

     I know it can be an incredibly difficult burden, if you are not blessed with a saved husband.  I know that there can be incredible difficulties, with a Christian man.  Difficulties or no, we should be actively seeking to love our Lord, by obeying Him.

     So, I seek to make Dear his breakfast, as I am able.  Getting up before the crack of dawn has been a tad more difficult, now that we have a little blessing dependent upon his mama.  However, the times wherein I am able to get up that early, I do.

     I love that I can bless my man, with a hearty breakfast, a cheerful countenance, a kiss as he walks out the door.  If I wanted, I could crawl back into my comfy bed.  He cannot.  He is toiling his laborious job, to care for us.

     I love that when he comes home for lunch, I am able to give him another hearty meal, to keep him going.  He is blessed with the squeals of delight as our li'l man sees his papa pull into the driveway, and walks up to the door.  He is blessed to have us excitedly awaiting his entrance, and, later, his return after work is done.

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     I love that he can arrive home, and know that dinner is ready; or, about to be.  He can take a shower to clean off the muck from a hard day's work.  He can have a piping hot cup of coffee, savoring every drip.  He can sit down to the table, ready to enjoy whatever his wife made for him.    He can go rest a bit in bed, if he has had an especially tiring day.  He can enjoy family and home, because I purpose to give that gift to him.

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     But, you know what?  It has become reciprocal.  I was not looking for it to be so; but, it did.  He gladly will help me with our son, whenever I need it.  He will gladly give me a helping hand, wherever I need it.

     And, it all started by putting him before me.
 

     Am I being antiquated?  If gladly cooking him meals is antiquated, then, yes.  If trying to raise our son to love his father, then, yes.  If seeking to put him first, (after the Lord), then, yes.

     Am I oppressed?  Well, according to Webster's 1828 definition of oppress, I do not see it.  I do not see my husband being unreasonable with me.  In fact, I do not recall him ever asking me to get up to make his breakfast. He has asked about lunches and dinners, but, really, who would not ask such a thing:  especially when hungry?

     Sure, someone may say that he needs to make it himself.  Why?  I have been home all day.  It is my duty, and my honor, to do so.  It only appears grievous when looked upon with a selfish heart.

     If we, as women who know and love the Lord Jesus Christ, can get our eyes back onto HIM, when we start feeling overwhelmed, irritated, lazy, etc., in our roles as wives and mothers, we will soon sense our strength to continue in those good works!  So, if you are able, make your man breakfast, and see what starts happening:  in you, and in him!

 "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;"

Romans 12:10

"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing."

Ephesians 5:22-24

P.S.  A little food for thought:  If we were to have a job/career outside the home, wherein we received monetary benefits for our service, would we not seek to do the very best of our abilities?  If we were in the hospitality field, customer relations field, or worked in any variety of stores, would we not seek to excel in customer service, pleasing our superiors, and teamwork?  Why then, could we not apply the same attitude, if not even more so, to our families?