How many times have we husbands heard that statement? “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Eph. 5:25).
I’ve heard it preached and stated as a duty numerous times. I don’t believe I gave it much thought other than as something I should be doing as in, it’s just the right thing to do.
Having been married to Grace for 40 years and being her high school sweetheart for 5 years, I thought I was an above-average husband. Now, humbly speaking, I probably was. I didn’t spend my free time hunting, fishing, golfing, or playing around with the guys, although I’m not against healthy hobbies. My time off from work was spent doing church activities.
But my life was consumed with work, that is, “the business.” We went into business in 1973, buying the “store.” What was meant as an easy way to make a living in running our own business became a consuming venture. Constant success and expansion became the time-consuming monster, leaving very little free time.
It only got worse after the Native Americans opened a tax-free commercial center that cut into our business, which eventually forced us to close one store and sell our house also. Not going bankrupt meant working three jobs just to keep the other store open.
Throughout the next 18 years, there were many 100-h ...
