Shepherding a Sick Wife

Kyle Worley with a beautiful post that points to Christ-like leadership of his wife:

She always gets compliments on her voice.  Don’t misunderstand me, she can sing beautifully, but her normal conversational voice has this unique quality to it.  People will say things like, “It’s almost like her voice has the same quality whether she is singing or talking.” I know what they’re talking about, more than they will ever know, and I can’t imagine ever growing tired of hearing it distinctiveness. 

What most people don’t realize is that my wife’s voice has this distinct character to it because she has a genetic lung disease called Cystic Fibrosis.  I remember the first time I saw her doing one of her morning breathing treatments, sitting with this huge black percussion vest on, holding to her lips what looked like the most sophisticated peace pipe in history, and she looked beautiful. 

You see, people told me before I married Lauren, “She is going to require more care than most.” They wanted me to be aware that she was physically broken.  Truth be told, when the Lord set my heart towards Lauren, I would sometimes think, “I don’t know if I can handle caring for a wife who has a lung disease.”  Guess what I found out, I am completely insufficient to the task of “fixing” a sick wife. 

In and of myself, I will neglect her. I will be frustrated by her. My selfishness will rise up within me, and I will fail her. This is why: I have had to cease trying to be my wife’s “all in all.” I have had to beg the Spirit to knock me off my throne of inability and point our hearts to our true Refuge. So, how do you shepherd a sick wife?

Read the rest for his suggestions that have application to all marriages.