“It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” Gen. 2:18As I sat hypnotized by the imagery and sensory overload of The Lord of the Rings “The Return of the King” I could not help but be moved by the magnificent metaphor of marriage as Samwise and Frodo reach the pinnacle of their journey on the ravaging coals of Mt. Doom. With the completion of their transcendent cause in reach, Frodo collapses in exhaustion. The next scene will forever be burned into my memory. With faces marred by dirt, sweat, and exhaustion, Samwise mustered every last bit of courage, love, determination, and strength he had, picked his friend up and uttered the following statement: “I can not carry your burden for you, but I can carry you”. WOW! How many times in my own life have I been down in desperate need of being carried? You see, our Father in His omniscience new that at the very least we as men needed a “helper compareable to him", as we seek to carry out the great calling He has placed on our lives. However it is in those times of desperation when we find ourselves in the wastelands of life that our wives become much more than a helper and in fact can carry us as Samwise carried Frodo. Our wives can not carry our burden for us but many times they have carried us.
In Proverbs 31 we are given an epilogue of a Wife of Noble Character or perhaps an outline for what God has ordained as His standard for a Godly Wife. Hidden in verse 23 are the truths of a man who has no doubt experienced some carrying; “Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.” Prov. 31:23
So the next time you find yourself in the wastelands of life, look down, for you might see two set’s of footprints, those of your savior and those of your wife as she carries you while you can not carry yourself.
"If your vision is for a year, plant wheat. If your vision is for ten years, plant trees. If your vision is for a lifetime, plant people." 
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3 comments:
Jake, I like your post and even though I am not married (yet!!) I hope to be "much more than a help mate!" I have some great women in my life who have set excellent examples and I hope to carry on that heritage some day.
that was a wonderful post. words like that give value and validation to many women out there who often times feel overlooked and underestimated. you are right when you reiterate the very fact that God knew exactly what he was doing. words are powerful. thankyou for using yours to build not destroy.
it takes a strong man to admit that. thank you for being strong and recognizing that we too carry. But i also know that as a woman, there are burdens only i can carry and my husband has too often had to carry me. I'm greatful for the balance of it all. marriage is a wonderful thing that shapes our existance in ways nothing else can.
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