Taking time to be with our husbands is a very special thing in the lives of our marriages.
Dedicated time. Just for the two of you.
My husband loves it when we are alone, just the two of us, on a date. That dedicated time is important to him and, in fact, it thrills him.
This took me a little while to understand. After having our children (four of them in six years) it seemed to me that any extra time I had needed to come in the form of rest, not date night!
But the event that changed my heart and my attitude to this precious time spent with my spouse happened while he was deployed to the Persian Gulf. It was nearing the end of my husband’s 7-plus month deployment to the Persian Gulf and his ship was going to stop in Australia for a port visit before returning to its home port in Hawaii. My husband sent word that he really wanted me to fly to Sydney, Australia to meet him for a few days. These would be days that we could have a reunion after many months apart. That private reunion, he said, would only make the reunion for all of us as a family that more special. He could feel reconnected with me and focus on reconnecting with the kids when he returned to Hawaii.
Now, ladies you must understand Oahu, Hawaii is very far from any of my family who could watch my children while I left the island to fly halfway across the world to another continent. Did I mention that my daughter was two and my other children not much older? Another continent.
Yeah, nice thought honey but that would just not be possible.
Then, a wise woman, my pastor’s wife, came to me and said that “it would be the best thing I could do for my husband and my children if I honored his request for this special date.” She cautioned me not to “pass up the blessing that my family would receive if I did what my husband so desperately asked.”
I prayed and God made a way. I went.
I arrived the night before Keith’s ship was to arrive in Sydney harbor. The next morning I had several long hours to wait for my husband to arrive, so I took walk from my hotel down to the Sydney waterfront to the famous Opera House grounds. As I came around the waterside of the Opera House, I noticed a ship being guided into the harbor.
My heart stopped.
I recognized the ship’s number as my husband’s cruiser! I will never forget the feelings that flooded my entire body.
I began to weep. I felt like a school girl again. I was shaking and there was this feeling. It was deep; it welled to the top.
It was a thrill I will never, ever forget.
My loneliness was gone. My husband, my lover, my friend had returned. I was about to see him again.
That time in Sydney turned a new chapter in our marriage. Our good marriage got better.
The thrill taught me that our time together – just the two of us – refreshes our love, sustains our marriage and causes our children to thrive.
I often recall Sydney, Australia with a smile but have been thrilled many times since then as I am with my husband keeping the fire of our love burning.
Maybe you need to stoke the fires of love by saying “yes” and making that special time happen…even when it seems that it can’t. God can make a way!
He did for me, He will for you.
Honor your husband and find your thrill.
♥ Kim
Image found on Pinterest
Kim I love this post! I am so happy that you went and met up with your hubby. That feeling is amazing and so nice to get again after so many years of being together. I love how you described it too, I could just see it all in my head!!
I have to work on this a little more.. well we both do.. too many times we don’t take that time for one on one with each other, to just be together and focused on each other, not our little one. This needs to come back and be the focus of our marriage. For us to focus on one another, to get in touch again, will make our marriage better and that will make our family better!
Thanks for sharing this wonderful post! 🙂
xoxoxo
Thank you Nicole for the kind encouragement and for “seeing” my thrill that even almost 10 years after this “date” in Sydney is still so deep and vivid!
I learned in that step of faith of honoring my husband by spending time just with him really does help my children thrive. For me, it still takes intentional planning to come about and even saying to myself, “yes, I am tired as I homeschool and care for four children but this investment is worth the energy.” Laying self aside and remembering the one-flesh bond that we have with our husbands. Besides, I love to be with my husband!
Thanks for this reminder Kim. So loved this story. I too had to be intentionally at getting childcare for my three boys (2 of them teenagers) back in the summer of 2010 as my husband came home for his mid-tour from Korea. It took some effort to get family on board to take the three boys and spend time with them, but they finally agreed (they thought it more important he reconnect with the kids immediately), but God allowed excess delays and 2 days of travel to convince my family that he needed them to keep the boys for awhile. That is some of the best times we have had for a reunion. It took a lot of effort for me to call for the plane tickets to be the way they were, and to find a place for us to stay that was not in the same house as family, and to not be worried about the kids, but to focus on my husband. I needed this reminder once again. Thanks!!
Debbie, thanks for sharing your thrilling story! I am grateful to be reminded of the importance of making time just for my husband, no matter our season of life for it does bring honor to our husband and our God! Blessings!