His words made me cry this morning.
He told me, along with the surrounding congregation, that I was his “home court advantage.” That no matter how dreary the many matters surrounding him in his outside life become, at the end of the day, I was his safe harbor. His cheerleader; his anchor; his best defense against his critics.
It’s hard to think of my husband having any critics. If you’ve ever met my man, then you would heartily agree. Never have I known a more compassionate, loving individual whose willingness to lay down his heart and life for just about anybody far surpasses the norm. Truly, the love of God resides in his inner being.
He’s…
A giver, not a taker.
An encourager, not a “deflater.”
A healer, not a wounder.
A lover, not a fighter.
A defender, not an offender.
A faith walker, not just a faith talker.
A mature man, not an infant.
A forgiver, not a grudge-keeper.
A “do-er,” not just a listener.
A pastor, not just a preacher.
A father, not just a sperm-donor.
A husband, not a controller.
So much of what he is, is what I am not. I suppose this is main reason God decided to grace my life with Billy’s. He knew, better than me, just what I needed at just the right time… just in time.
I nearly gave my heart and years to another the second time around. What a disaster that would have been. But God reached down into my dreariness and drew me out; set my feet on higher ground and set my sights in a better direction—a course that would push my feet along a path that would eventually intersect with the path of a man named Billy on his way to becoming a preacher named accordingly.
Preacher Billy.
There’s none finer. And that’s the truth of the matter.
So when the critics arrive as they have arrived in recent days, their “truth” holds little water on my turf. I’m a home-team gal with a whole lot of home-team pride surging through my veins. Sometimes I wish my man would let me in the rink to go a round or two on his behalf; he’s certainly stood in the rink for me on a number of occasions and has the scars to prove it.
But his “better” usually wins out over my “bitter”, and I’m reminded, once again, of why I need him so much.
He forces the issue of my faith. He pushes me to my perfection. He understands the greater gain that can come from a surrender rather than from a frontal assault. He is my knight in shining armor, and I am his damsel in distress. He’s saved me from myself, time and again, and pulled me through the dark forest into the marvelous light of an extraordinary kingdom.
I don’t know how long our lives will extend together on this planet—how much time God will grant us to live our love story—but with my dying breath, I will still be cheering his name.
It’s what a home-team wife does… how a home-team family lives.
You’ve found your home court advantage with us, Preacher Billy. We love you more than words can write; you make our lives a place where we want to live. Thank you for giving your heart to us on a hot July afternoon almost thirteen years ago.
Only God could have known the depth of what that would mean for all of us.
Only God could love us that much.
It’s you and me, babe, from this day forward, through to forever. The line has been drawn, and I know where I stand. How grateful and humbled I am to call you, not only my preacher, but most importantly, my man.
I love you…
~elaine
PS: The winner of Alicia Chole’s book, Intimate Conversations, was drawn by my daughter this afternoon…Congrats, Denise at Free to be Me. Please send me your snail mail, and I’ll get this to you in time to put it under your tree! Shalom.
Wonderful, wonderful post! So glad you have found someone like Billy!
And, I bet if you asked him he would say the same about you!
Love to you both!!
*sigh*
Today we are both being reminded of how blessed we are. In church this morning, I found myself reaching over to Don's arm resting there beside mine. I touched him and held onto his arm during the closing prayer, grateful that I could do so. I wanted to deliberately sense his presence there beside me and thank God he was!
You both have indeed been blessed. We who know you two have been blessed as well. I would not hesistate to have you both in my corner. I trust you two completely and know the love you have for Jesus. I feel as though I know just where you two stand and it is on behalf of Jesus and about doing his business and that my folks is good enough for me.
You had me tearing up over this one! God's plan is so perfect & none can thwart it…
Wylie
What a wonderful tribute to a loving husband. You are a blessing to so many, and I'm sure a blessing to your husband as well, as he said, his home court advantage. I love that.
Some day I need to write a tribute to my hubby, because in my book he has pretty much all the traits with which you described Billy.(except he's not a pastor/preacher). We are both wonderfully blessed. Donna
I'm so slow with words to encourage my hubby. Your post today pushes me to do a lot better job than I am currently doing!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks.
Hello from Romania ,
please read the blog – My heart His words – at archive blog please look at November – Humbled and Convicted-
, my friend Tammy Nischan wrote them the story and some pictures of some hungryes poors kids , what we try to help them for Christmas .Our LORD will be so proud of us if we will do something! Many kids dont have food ,or Christmas tree becouse theu are so poors ! I fight so much to help this kids but i cant alone ~ if anyoane wants to know much more or wish to help in anyway you can please let me know email me at :
[email protected]
I love you blog,
sweet blessings and MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Violeta
What an amazing post! You are both truly blessed.
Praying for you both, for your "team"
Blessings to you this day!
Jennifer
Oh wow, you are so blessed!
May God grant you very happy decades to come!
That was such a beautiful tribute, to the loving hand of God in your lives, and to your husband. How blessed he will be when he reads this. Words to treasure for a life time, and words you are both living! You are blessed!
I just loved this Elaine.
Girl! We must be walking down 'twin" roads…YOU ARE DRINKING MY KOOLAID!!!!
this morning, my hubby, the minister got "chewed up" by a retired preacher that goes to our church and still wants "HIS" way. My hubby just walked away and found me… I will be a cheerleader for my man any day!
this was a beautiful post.
wifeforthejourney:
I will number these words among the best I've ever heard; I'll never need more than I have in you. You are such a part of who I am, it is difficult to imagine what life "pre-Elaine" was like, but I can sum it up in a word:
Dull
All the time I spent waiting wondering if there was going to be someone out there that would have me (who wasn't a head case) and – as I have told the Lord anew this evening – you were worth the wait.
You bring out the best in me and because of you, our family has all the best things in life. The good news is that with you I don't feel like we have to "take on all comers" but instead we get to love everyone who comes our way. Nobody could be better for me; you and me, home team all day, all the way.
Love always,
Billy
Hi Elaine,
This is truly a beautiful marriage placed together by the Lord. I feel as you do about my husband and what you listed about his qualities, I feel exactly the same about my beloved. This is absolutely wonderful, a breathtakingly beautiful post.
Thank you for sharing your heart for your husband. In a day and age such as this, there needs to be more publicly written about our spouses such as you have done here. I did the same thing in a posting about my husband not long ago. How how we love our men, our knights in shining armor…BUT OH HOW WE LOVE OUR LORD FIRST AND FOREMOST WHO ORCHESTRATES EVERYTHING IN OUR LIVES.
Love & Blessings,
Alleluiabelle
Do I dare post following your love? How beautiful.
This morning our words were the opposite of you and your husbands words….I don't know who is being more stubborn…I wish instead our morning was like yours but I know our love is and we will get though this "incident". I understand this post so well and so I humbly praise our God for what we have in our marriages, in the good and the bad.
Beautiful, beautiful post friend.
In His Graces~Pamela
Oh how I loved this! Why? Because I'm a home-team girl, too, and I feel exactly the same way.
How incredibly blessed are WE?
xo M
This is beautiful, Elaine.That's quite a hubby you have. Bill and I think the world of you both.
We love you and Billy dearly. You can count on us to be two of your biggest cheerleaders!
Love,
Beth
It sounds like your Billy and my Hubs have much in common as do we. I'd love to share a cuppa something and commisserate one day (still hoping you'll make it to Mt. Hermon or I'll make it to She Speaks at the same time). It's hard when the criticism comes from the very ones they seek to serve so wholeheartedly. (Says the voice of recent experience.)
It sounds like Billy is your safe harbor as much as you're his. You are blessed to have found each other.
I can understand why his words made you cry — what precious, beautiful words to hear! Sounds like you are both amazing mates to each other. Continued love and blessings to you!
It is such a wonderful thing to hear a wife praise her husband in such honoring terms. God is so good. Lovely post Elaine.
What a beautiful tribute for such a beautiful marriage…wow. Your words to Billy and his words to you (via his comment)in a word — precious. What an incredible gift God gave to you in one another. The love, encouragement and support you give to one another is truly a picture of what marriage ought to be. Thank you. Lifting a prayer on your behalf this morning. Love & blessings…
Such a heart touching post, you and your husband are both sweetly blessed. I am honored to have won the book, thank you.
Fortunately our pastor-husbands have Billy's attitude that we don't have to "take on all comers" but instead we get to love everyone who comes our way". Too many times I stand ready like a mother bear to "take on all the comers" on his behalf.
Say what you want about me, but don't you DARE criticize him….
Oh, to learn to simply love everyone who comes our way.
Wow! What a special honor to your husband. God has blessed you with each other. What you have written here today is an example of what God's intentions were from the beginning of time when He said, "it is not good for man to be alone." There is comfort and joy in knowing the union of marriage can reflect such a loving bond. I believe that was God's plan all along. 🙂 You are blessed!
Elaine,
That is a beautiful tribute to your husband. I believe that he is equally blessed with you as his wife. Seems God knew exactly what He was doing when He drew the two of you together.
God bless you both.
Leah
The beauty in this is that God knew who to choose when forming this team. Your different and Billy's different together make a what is right. No more evident than his "better" winning over your "bitter".
May your "this day forwards" be as full and blessed as those whose form is nothing but memories.
Shalom,
Denise
Hi Elaine,
My family and I are having a raffle to raise funds toward postage for our gift bag mission. We hope you will drop by and take a chance to win two awesome gifts!
Postage Raffle Drive
This is a wonderful tribute to Billy! How wonderful to have you at his side to help him in the Kingdom. You were hand picked by God. I understand. My husband only filled in for the leaving pastor one year and I got protective with the criticism. Like you, I had to watch that no bitterness enter so he stayed anointed.
Elaine, thanks for sending me this link. You're right, he loved on you big — from the pulpit and even dropped by your comment box — and you gave it right back. What a sweet, honoring thing you've done for each other here.
Brag on. Sounds like you both deserve it.
Elaine and Billy, thanks for sharing the journey with us. Proof positive that God is the giver of good gifts. Much love.
Thank you for this girl…what a great reminder of how things should be.
I remember the years when I was on the hit list and Keith had my back..it meant so much to me.
And now it seems to be his turn…a hard thing to see. And you are right..it would be so nice to be able to come to his defense. 🙂
But the greatest defense is a solid offense. Staying on the home team!
Thank you
I heard an elderly pastor once say that he had had to – over the years – develop a tough hide like an elephant's while developing a tender heart like a child's. It's no easy job shepherding sheep – not to mention the goats that infiltrate the flocks.
Thank God for His surrounding forces, and for not allowing any weapon to prosper against His own. Something tells me you are a mighty force, Elaine, and that Billy is worthy of such devotion.
Besides which, you're in such good company. Not one notable man or woman of God – be it those from Hebrews 11, Oswald Chambers or C.S. Lewis, Billy Graham or Billy Sunday, and hundreds of others – were without their critics.
Well, I'm a fan; and it looks like there's a huge crowd of same.
My prayers for both of you.
Kathleen
what a beautiful post, Elaine. I hope he reads your blog. If he doesn't, print this baby and send it to him. It's always nice to see love in action…and in print. 🙂
hugs,
Donna
I just read the other comments. Looks like he does read your blog. What a beautiful relationship you two have with one another and with the Father!
A beautiful post, Elaine, to your dear husband. May God bless you both with many special years together!
These are beautiful words, Elaine.
It is good for a husband and a wife to speak words of life to one another while there is still time. Not many couples are as fortunate, or as wise.
I truly rejoice that God saved you from another disastrous relationship, and instead led you to meet Preacher Billy… because He wanted a couple who would model marriage as He wants it lived and modeled.
Thanks for the encouragement that this post has given my heart.
Love
Lidj
Greetings Mrs. Elaine:)
I was blessed by your post, you love your man very much!:) Home court advantage! That is super sweet for him to say! I pray that your marriage would continue to be blessed by God as it has. Love in Christ to you:), ((HUGS)),
katiegfromtennessee
What a beautiful picture of what a husband should be. The load-bearer, provider, encourager…the head of the household. You are truly blessed!
This is one of the greatest posts I have read…for here on this page is your heart…and a heart that is so strong…because it beats in tune with His.
Such a beautiful tribute to your love…how blessed you both are!
A good man.
Add an affirming, supportive woman.
What do you get?
A love that lasts.
Forever.
Even during the tough, tough times.
Not every woman gets to experience that kind of love up close and personal.
Makes me want to hold my man. Real tight.
Sweet dreams.
How refreshing it is to hear one spouse say such sweet words about the other when so much of our world trys to show that a love/marriage like that is not possible anymore.
Beautiful Elaine. You are both very blessed.
Preach on Sister-Girl! I feel the same about my hubby! Love you!