The Minimalist Guide to Being a Thankful Wife

I recently returned from a ladies weekend retreat. My kind and serving husband agreed instantly and wholeheartedly to stay at home with our children. For Two nights. Three days.

God graciously granted me a wonderful time of fun, food, and fellowship! I learned, laughed, and lingered. Such a treat.

I realize that when I am given time off away from home, there is something that I need to do before I head back hurriedly into daily life. I need to stop and purposefully thank my husband for his part in it all. In fact, I need to thank my husband a whole lot more.

Why do you need to thank your husband?

As a wife, you are called to respect your husband (Ephesians 5:33). Respect covers several fields. When you honour, submit to, and give preference to your husband, you show him respect.

And…

Humbly placing yourself before him with an attitude of gratitude for all he does and means to you, is no less a part of the calling to respect your husband.

What if he doesn’t deserve to be thanked?

This does not mean admitting (falsely) that your husband is perfect or faultless. Mine sure isn’t (he even asked me to put that in there – to which I quickly and unhesitatingly obliged :-)). However, even if you have to split hairs and think really hard, I know that you can find reasons to thank your man, and to thank God for your man!

After all, as was once anonymously said, “A husband is one who stands by you in troubles you wouldn’t have had if you hadn’t married him.” (Tweet that)

Sneak peak into my personal thanking

So, here goes… my weekend away, “Thank you, Honey” list (you can listen in if you like :-)):

• Thank you, Honey, for helping me pack, carrying my belongings to the car for me, and reminding me to take essentials that I would otherwise have forgotten.

• Thank you, Honey, for being willing to carry the weight and hold the fort while I relax.

• Thank you, Honey, for feeding, playing with, investing in, and loving our children while I was away.

• Thank you, Honey, for sending me loving and beautiful text messages to affirm your support and love for me several times each day.

• Thank you, Honey, for having the house (pretty) clean and tidy when I returned :-).

• Thank you, Honey, for being eager to hear all about my weekend and suffering silently while I sang you encores of Sound of Music tunes.

I truly believe, that if you stopped to think of reasons for which you could thank your husband, you would come up with a longer list than you anticipated.

What if it’s easier said than done?

If you find it hard to get started, why not think of one incident or theme that you can spring off of? For example, thank him for specific things he does around the house, for his efforts to provide for your family, or for the way he has improved over the past months in certain areas.

Some practical guidelines that may help:

• Be specific – go into as much detail as possible.
• Be genuine – avoid sarcasm, or the temptation to use this exercise as a “dig”
• Be sincere – only thank him for the areas/points that you appreciate from your heart.
• Be brief – our husbands aren’t usually like our girlfriends who enjoy pages and pages of dramatic literature.

I invite you to write 5 short sentences in a “Thank you, Honey” list of your own and place it on your hubby’s pillow for him to unexpectedly find.

Share one or two with me below. I’d love a sneak peak into your grateful heart for the man God gave you.