Friday, March 9, 2012

Pastor's Wife

I linked up with Kelly's Korner for her "Ministry Wives" blog. I thought it would be fun to connect with other minister's wives! It's a unique world that's for sure, and it's encouraging to be reminded you're not alone! My hubby is a pastor and we have been a part of two traditional churches before he (or as you wives know too well, "WE") planted a church two years ago in Denton, Texas. What a journey it has been! Definitely challenging but SO rewarding as well. God has taught us so much through planting and serving a church. It has truly been amazing. To say I always love being a pastor's wife would not quite be the truth, but for the most part it's wonderful. It's a full time, unpaid and often under appreciated job, but it's also wonderful at the same time. The people at our church, Venture Community, make it wonderful for me. Our church family there is such a blessing to me. They are Jesus to me in so many ways.
I get the phrase, "You don't seem like the typical pastor's wife!" all the time. This is funny to me. I didn't know we were all cookie cutters!;) I take that as a compliment though. Truth is, I'm just real. I don't know any other way to be. I'm a mess a lot of the time, exhausted from raising two sweet baby girls and loving my husband, serving our church in ways seen and unseen and trying my darndest to be like Jesus. I'm just like any other wife and momma, just that my husband leads a church and I support him in that! I don't really feel a lot of the "fish bowl" pressure, largely because my hubby does a great job of protecting me from the pressures of being a pastor's wife and also because our church family is so amazing. I'm so grateful for that! One of the most dreaded, but funny at the same time, things about being a pastor's wife is when you are talking to new people and then the question comes up, "So what does your husband do??" I often want to lie and say, "Oh, he's a business guy" or something along those lines.:) As soon as the word,"Pastor" comes out, the look on people's faces is classic, a nervous smile and a congratulatory type comment. Usually the conversation comes to end soon after. They are recalling everything they have said, hoping they didn't say a bad word or something they wouldn't say in front of a "Pastor's Wife" Ha! This seriously makes me laugh so hard. That's when I just want to explain that I am in fact "normal" and don't go around judging and condemning people. I would sure be in trouble if someone did that to me! It's a world only a pastor's wife could understand, but it's a world I'm sure thankful I'm a part of! Blessings to all the Pastor's wives out there, your work for the Lord is not in vain!


"The Pastor's wife is the only women I know who is expected to
work full time with out pay on her husband's job,
in a role no one has yet defined." -Ruthie White

"In the shadow of the home, stands a figure often obscure. Just behind
the pastor, is his wife. She is with him every minute, helping to make his work progress.
You can't discount her portion in the measure of success. Often behind the scene of action,
often never seen or heard, yet she stands forever ready to give a helpful word.
It's not in active service that her worth is really shown, but in bearing heavy
burdens that to others are unknown. With encouragement and vision,
she must urge God's servant on, when the shadows are the
darkest and his courage almost gone. With her home forever open and her work never quite done,
she is forever his lieutenant in the battles fought and won."
-T.R. Buzzard


In


10 comments:

Jill said...

hey lindsay!! found your blog through Kelly's blog :)

your girls are beautiful! i'm an RN, too (a psych nurse currently) and a pastor's wife. Nurses make the best pastor's wives, in my opinion! haha!

anyways, glad i found your blog!

hollie marie said...

Hi Lindsay- I also found you through KK. There's so much to relate to with your post-- I think we all can share in your feelings! (oh & I'm also an RN... so during our "joint" interviews, I can often read people's thoughts: "oh so you're going to work full time? So what good are you going to be for us? Isn't this a 2 for 1 deal?" Ha!)

Thanks for sharing :)

Laura Drewry said...

Hey there! I found your blog thru Kelly's minister wives link up party! Your girls are adorable! I also am a minister's wife...we serve in an outdoor ministry in the MS Delta. I plan to do a link up here shortly. Anyways, visit my blog if you'd like! www.drewryfamily.blogspot.com
God Bless!! :)

Jenn Harding said...

Loved finding your blog! Your words are SO true and your girls are too precious for words. Being a pastor's wife can be such a lonely place to be. No one understands unless they are one! Glad to find some new blog friends tonight:)

Unknown said...

Lindsay, Thank you so much for the sweet comment on my blog. I really appreciate the love. In the first few days after Jonathan died and I decided to start blogging I would wake up every morning and go on it hoping for a comment to feel that some one cared... anyone. It did not help that I was not supported by those that are my real life friends. Your post is true it is a lonely road. Your girls are so very pretty I love the pictures of them with the signs of their age. I wish I would of done that. After many children I look at their baby pictures and have no idea how old they are. We are also a church plant We have a small congregation in Venice beach. I am so happy to have found you through this link up! Thanks for the much needed Prayers.

Mindy said...

Hey Lindsay! Thanks for the comment on my blog! I'm glad to make new pw blog friends, too!

I love, love, love that quote!
It's great....and your girls are beautiful!!!

Lindsey said...

Hey LindsAy... I am Lindsey :) Also found you through Kelly. My husband and I JUST began our church planting process and I was so happy to hear that there are other "crazies" out there too ha! Would love any advice you have to share as I can always use encouragement! My email is lgriffi2@gmail.com

Stacy @ Cardigans and Crayons said...

Hey! Found you through the link up at KK. I am a pastor's wife, too.

Your girls are beautiful! Can't wait to read more about your sweet family!

Kathy said...

Wow Lindsay! I was so touched by your blogpost on pastor's wives! I am a pastor's wife also and have three kids, two of which were in the NICU for 4-6 weeks! I feel indebted to all NICU nurses who take the time to care for the little babies. Many NICU nurses made all the difference in my life and for my boys. My first baby was a miracle- miracle that he was conceived and born and alive today. So many times I think about wanting to help with preemies or the parents of babies in the NICU but don't know how. Anyways I am excited to read more about your blog! Thanks for sharing. Kathy

p.s. I LOVE the quotes!!! Where did you find them?? I started blogging recently and one of them is a blog for Christian women, wives and moms on book reviews specifically, and quotes and such (christianbookmom.blogspot) but my family blog is utahscribners.blogspot.com
Look forward to reading more posts!

Allison said...

Stopping by from Kelly's link up. Your little girls are just beautiful.