Now There Are Two in Bed!

My friend and newly-wed wife, Laetitia King will be guest posting today for the Blushing Bride's Blog ! I am sure you will enjoy her take on married life as you read her humorous, yet important discovery! Her honest perspective on growing into be the wife God has called her to be will inspire all of us to do the same.

My husband couldn't stop coughing.

We prepared for bed as usual, but suddenly he started coughing uncontrollably. Panic struck! He had just started a new job and all I could think was to get him healed and ready for the next morning. He couldn't afford missing a day of work.

We were only married for three months, and I realized in that moment why you sometimes need to grow into married life. I wasn't sure what to do…

 I ran to the kitchen to get him a bottle of water, and then opened the windows for fresh air. When the coughing didn't stop I pulled out a few extra pillows to make him lie more upright. Nothing worked.

And when nothing works the only thing you can do is pray. As I prayed, guilt flooded over me. I started repenting to God for my negligence, not implementing healthy eating habits or buying proper food. I thought of the medicine cupboard that was empty, and my lack of “Grey's Anatomy” skills. If only I had studied medicine for 7 years I wouldn't have felt so helpless! I thought of everything and more.

After a while I ran out of words to pray. I was sitting straight up in my bed, near to tears when George (my husband) turned to me and whispered in a very quiet voice- a voice that was cracking between the waves of coughs that were waiting to break against his throat, “Laetitia, would you mind washing off the perfume you are wearing, it's giving me a Hay Fever attack!

Perfume! Can you believe it! I didn't know whether I wanted to laugh or cry. Perfume, my singleness-smell, my ever-faithful brand came to an abrupt death when my husband nearly died under the stench of its Star-fragrance power. What can I say....except....now there are two in bed!

As a passionate follower of the Lord Jesus Christ I sometimes find it challenging to compromise, consider, adapt, and grow in my married life. I am truly happily married, but I think one of the greatest blessings of being joined with your husband is that you have to die to the self-made identity you grew accustomed to in order to actually allow the Holy Spirit to pull your hearts closer to one another. It is in the subtle things where you let go. I like fish, my husband likes red meat. I love eating out, my husband likes eating in. When we work out our budget, my husband likes using the slips, while I look at the final bank statements.

This can become very frustrating, or very fascinating. Sometimes I find myself promoting my values and ways of doing and forcing it on my husband – George, don't eat the piece of cheese before dinner, please be patient! George, why did you buy a DVD I can't watch – you know I like family friendly movies! George...why? 

Sound familiar? 

It's funny how comments like these immediately cause pride and place us on a pedestal. And we forget the fascination we once had with your husband. Suddenly the need to protect our own identity and background becomes so strong, that we start criticizing the things our husband does, closing ourselves off for receiving his love. When I get days like these I think back to the perfume incident where God powerfully and humorously reminded me... that there are two in bed!

God made male and female, not to contend, not to strive, but to grow together. We were made to love one another unconditionally. Married life is there to enjoy the different fragrances of your partner – the “I forgot to take out the dustbin” fragrance and the “I burned the food” fragrance!

We are not perfect, but Jesus Christ is. Therefore, I don't have to make my husband perfect. He is already perfect through the Blood of the Lamb.

Our job as ladies is this… to accept the greatest gift God gave us, and start living as the wife God predestined us to be- a wife that remembers everyday…

 that now there are two in the bed!

Laetitia and her husband George married in South Africa in March 2010, and are now enjoying their new life together in London. I am sure we will be hearing more from her heart in the coming months!

Here's a little bit more from this amazing woman:  
I totally surrendered my life to the Lord at age 16. There were seasons of doubtful hopelessness and frustrating singleness....but never before did I experience God the way I do now after I got married. God is truly good, and marriage helps you wake up with that revelation every day. My passion is to teach young ladies the reality of God, the essence of His love for us and the goodness He pours out in marriage to enjoy each other and Him. My heart is not to write or teach my own man-made philosophies, but I want to give hope to those who are waiting for God’s promises to come to pass. To let everyone know that they are in the Father’s house, and they are allowed to enjoy the blessings God gave us when Jesus died on the cross!