We recently had a niece stay awhile on our farm with her little boy. The boy loved to go around with me each evening and check cattle, fascinated by the new baby calves. Within a few days, he informed us he was a rancher.
He was so excited about a cow skull he found one day he asked if he could take it home. Though I would love to get rid of every cow skull on the place, I knew his grandpa (my brother) would be the one to decide if that thing would travel to Tennessee in his car (which I doubted). I told the boy he could have it, but it was up to his mother if he could take it home.
He put it in the UTV then eagerly asked his mama when we got to the house. I knew she knew it would not set well for her dad to see that giant bleached skull in his car. She told her son, “Let’s see if we can wrap it up and fit it in my suitcase.” It fit and they took it. My brother never knew.
It reminded me of things I’ve seen my wife do.
Being a single income family with 5 children for most of our adult life, my wife made dollars and resources stretch. She made incredible princess tiaras from empty milk cartons or Halloween costumes from paper sacks and could make 5 pounds of potatoes and a dozen eggs feed an army. In 1992, she mowed our 5 acres of Colorado weeds with a 19” push mower because I couldn’t afford a tractor.
Men evaluate everything with return on investment (ROI) in mind. A woman does things out of pure love and devotion. There is no way a man would justify mowing 5 acres of wildland with a 19” push mower.
Think About it
Rizpah’s sons were killed by an order from King David. For months Rizpah kept predators and scavengers away from their bodies day and night. [i]
Was there any ROI in that effort for her? No, she did it out of love and devotion.
Nehemiah told his people to fight for their families, sons, daughters, wives and homes.[ii] That’s what a man does.
But while protecting them, be mindful and grateful for them. There is nothing like a good mother or wife![iii]
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