a story from Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas....
A campus pastor named Brady Bobbink decided to take Scripture's admonitions about love seriously. Brady married relatively late in life. He had become well known as a speaker....was in high demand with plenty of opportunities to "serve God" thru his gift of teaching. When Brady asked Shirley to become his wife, life changed dramatically. Shirley had 2 children from a previous marriage, and it wasn't long before Shirley and Brady began to pray about having a child of their own.
"What would it mean for me to love my wife in this situation?" Brady asked himself. In prayer, Brady made a pledge. If Shirley had another baby, for the first year he wouldn't accept any outside speaking engagements other than the ones his current position required him to take. Shirley became pregnant and gave birth to Micah....
Months later, Brady received a lucrative opportunity to speak in Singapore... the change to go to the Far East was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity...
He excitedly told Shirley about this great opportunity, then remembered his pledge midway thru his convo, and said out loud, "I can't go."
Shirley tried to release Brady from his pledge. "Honey, I'll be fine"..
He kept his pledge and didn't go.
What's this got to do with my questioning God, "Am I doing the right thing?" Well, some days I feel like if I can't serve and love my husband the way God asks me to, then how can pouring my life and service into others be what God wants? Would ministry be so much easier if my spouse was involved? How can I learn to love my spouse more? How can I let him be involved in my life more and me in his? How can I serve him above and beyond doing his laundry? Wow I have so many questions running thru my head of what God requires of me....
So yeah, I still ask.. "Am I doing the right thing by serving God outside my home?"
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