Pastor's Wife Appreciation Week....

It's about time, don't you think?...allow me to explain...

I don't know what kind of church you grew up in, or if you grew up in a church at all...From my experience, as far back as I can remember, ministry has always been a 2 person job to me. First the husband in the actual job position and then, closely by his side, his wife.

*Disclaimer, please do not read this as "If you are single, you have no bona fide ministry." This is just an observation. Those of you single out there and rocking at your ministries, keep it up*

When I was a little girl, I remember always seeing our pastor's wife, Pat right there in the front row. At the end of each sermon, our pastor would take his wife's hand and together they would leave the church and head to the doors to greet the people as they left. You could see, they were in this together. I've also seen pastor's wives in other roles throughout the church, in varied minsitries and teams. What I've come to realize is this: While the pastor himself deals with the brunt of the work, there is no support system like his wife. She is the well oiled machine, sending the emails, welcoming the people, playing with the children, volunteering to serve, leading by example, making connections, backing up everything behind the scenes that her husband portrays at the front. She is also the one keeping him going when it gets tough, she is the listening ear as he bounces another idea off of her, she is his strength.

I believe that ministry is a 2 person job, because I feel that the partners these leaders have chosen for their lives are divine choices. The most successful ministries I have experienced in my life are those who have that team. This weekend, as I was singing with the band, I observed our pastor's wife in the back of the auditorium, with a big smile on her face, and I wondered, does she know how amazing she is. How all of this would not be the same without her? I thought about the other spouses on our leadership team and how each one of them helps to shape their husband to who he is. I thought about several very close and amazing friends I have in the ministry, about all their late nights and tough decisions and hard times and how they have worked side by side to seek God's will for their families...

If you are reading this as one of the wives of ministry, this one goes out to you. Thank you for who you are and everything you do. Our lives would not be as enriched without you and your quiet beauty, your servant's hearts and your love.

If you are a person whose life has been made better through knowing one of these people, encourage them this week. Send them a refreshing reminder of how much they matter!