The Delp Details

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Pastor's Wife? Not ME!

I was thinking yesterday as I was ironing (something I rarely do because I am terrible at it!) and I thought about women today. There are so many different kind of women. What kind of woman am I? Am I typical? I am a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a niece, a daughter-in-law and A PASTOR'S WIFE! It's funny when the obvious hits you like a truck! Not that being a pastor's wife is a new thought to me. A lot of people at my old job knew me as that. But when I think of all that comes with that...'title', well, it makes me think...
Number 1, I consider it a true, true priviledge to be the wife of a man that GOD has called into ministry. This is not something to be taken lightly and has SO many responsibilities that people don't EVEN realize. I don't even realize all my husband does sometimes.
When I was growing up, I think I even told my mom, "IF I am ever a pastor's wife (which I didn't think I wanted to be) I am sure not going to be a TYPICAL pastor's wife!" It's odd looking back on that because I STILL think that. I am not really someone who likes to live in the boxes people have set up for certain titles. I have actually had some very funny looks and 'interesting' questions asked of me when I say my husband is a pastor. One said, "you don't LOOK like a pastor's wife." Another said "I never would have guessed that!" When they meet Joel, they usually say "you don't LOOK like a pastor". To which we both usually say "What DOES a pastor look like?"
I ask myself even now, "what does a pastor's wife look like?" Does it matter...? I am not talking looks here, I mean what does it MEAN to be a pastor's wife? I say this and ask this because number one, I want to support Joel as much as I can. I want to be an encourager, supporter, and advocate for him. However, I think the IDEA of what people have as a pastor's wife is not at all what I am. I don't play the piano (not well anyway), I don't teach sunday school, heck, some Sunday's I can't even be in church because I am working! Does that make me a below average wife. Well, I don't think so, but I have to wonder what other's think. Not that I care (I told you I am not typical). Don't get me wrong, I want to be supporting to people of the church as well, but I am not there to PLEASE them. I am there to worship Jesus! WOW. I feel I have tons of thoughts brewing and not enough room to say them.
Again, don't get me wrong. I don't necessarily feel presssure or anything from people in our church. It is just something I have been thinking about...
What's YOUR opinion?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, God called JOEL to be a pastor and He called YOU to be a nurse. While you need to support and encourage Joel, he needs to do the same for you. I guess my feelings are that your job as a nurse is just as important as being a pastor...you touch lives every time you walk into the hospital. We're all called to be a witness. The old time "pastors wife should play the piano, teach Sunday School, etc." should go by the wayside along with "No TV, No Jewelry, No Pants on Women, etc." Just my opinion...I think you look just right!!

Anonymous said...

I'm sure you're a great pastor's wife.. supportive with a great heart!

Anonymous said...

You're not a typical PW--and I mean that as a compliment! A wife's job, as defined by God, is to be her husband's helper. That you do, and you share a ministry goal with your husband. That's awesome! You have a heart for God and His people; you're honest, genuine, trustworthy. Anyway, keep doing what God's called and gifted you to do.