Dear Pastor’s Wife,

     Psalm 119:165 “Great peace have they which love thy law, and nothing shall offend them.”

       One of my favourite sayings that pertains to being a pastor’s wife is this: “Have tough skin and a tender heart.”  Another pastor’s wife shared this with me when we first went into ministry, and I tucked it away in my heart and memory. And, oh….isn’t it true, friend? We need thick skin so that we can let things roll off and not react. But we are constantly in danger of developing a hard heart as the result of our instinct to protect ourselves and our husbands and families from criticism. I pray often that God will keep my heart soft and tender to His working, no matter what others may say or do.

     But wait…there is another key here. If we aren’t careful, we can miss it. The key to not being offended is subtle yet obvious.  It’s all connected to how we love God’s Words. Do we run continually to His Word for strength and answers? God promises peace to those who love His law. And He doesn’t stop there….it’s kind of like a chain reaction. We become so focused on God’s Words to us personally that we remain at peace with whatever is going on around us. And that peace lifts us above the words of others.

Suddenly only God’s words matter.

This key is a precious one for family life and for ministry. Let’s keep it in a safe place and use it every day, shall we?

XOXO,

A Kindred Spirit

P.S. Your elephant skin is looking fine today! 🙂 {Your heart is beautiful, too}