The Natural (wo)Man

I'm tired.

Full-time job, full-time school, full-time mom.

Part-time wife.

How did that happen? Somewhere, in all the demands coming from every direction, I have lost my way. After all, if I don't give my all at work, I will lose my job. If I don't do my schoolwork, I may not graduate. If I relax - even the slightest - in my duties as a mother, my children will suffer. Why has it taken me this long to see that my marriage needs more attention than all of my other relationships?

To paraphrase King Benjamin, the natural woman is an enemy to marriage. My husband is patient and forgiving. Because of that, it has been easy for me to put him last. He'll still be there when I come up for air. Right?

I've recently begun to recognize that he's tired, too. Tired of waiting for me to remember him. I know that I need to get on the fast track back to being the wife that he deserves. But how?

Perhaps King Benjamin's advice is a good place to start: "...becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love"(Mosiah 3:19)  When put in the context of a marriage relationship, those qualities become even more sacred. The world would say that submissiveness in marriage is an undesirable quality, but I believe that it is one of the most important ways to "put off the natural man." Being submissive means that I am aware of his needs and wants and that I selflessly put him first. If we are both more concerned about each other more than ourselves, our relationship will be on solid ground. Submissiveness builds a foundation for meekness, humility, patience, and love.

What a blessing that I don't have to embark on this journey of self-improvement alone. By "yielding to the enticings of the Holy Spirit", I will know the steps to take to make my marriage a top priority.