Pull a dogs ear and get bit…

I have a friend that just cannot get over the fact that some of his friends are “hen-pecked”, and are ordered around like puppies by their wives. Although it is not appealing to me to see a husband ordered around like a puppy by a domineering wife, if it makes them happy, then who am I to interject my wisdom into the matter? My friend just cannot help but interject and he literally ridicules his buddies when he observes them being bossed around by their wives.

My wife and others have told me that I better hope that nothing ever happens to her as I could not adapt to a modern day woman and I am told there are not many women like her left on the planet. My wife has always cooked, cleaned the house, changed all diapers, and in general taken care of other light domestic duties such as washing dishes, buying groceries, doing the laundry, etc. which I fondly refer to as “women’s work”. I have taken care of the bread-winning and the home and yard maintenance and the heavy side of the domestic front, or “men’s work”.

A woman’s “Lipper” friend that I know is completely aghast at the notion of calling anything women’s work and goes off like a napalm bomb at the mention of it. It is great sport and I enjoy saying it around her just to enrage her and listen to her go into a tirade about chauvinists. She is militant in her belief that if she cooks tonight then the husband will “darn” sure cook tomorrow night; the same holds true with washing dishes, cleaning house, changing diapers, or other duties.

My wife and I have been married thirty seven years and we each know what we are responsible for and do it quite naturally without thinking anything about it. She doesn’t mind the aforementioned women’s work chores that I abhor. By the same token she would have never gone outside and dragged a ladder around and cleaned the gutters, or cared for the lawn, or taken a belt to a misbehaving son. I am sure that the modern day friends of ours question how I can be such a “boor” about household duties, much like my friend is driven half out of his mind by his “whipped” friends, but if it works, then who is anyone to question it?

The Bible has much to say about marriage and if anyone is having trouble with theirs they would do well to read it. I have always thought of the Bible in the notion that it is much like an owner’s manual that God has written for us. If we will follow our owner’s manual then surely we will have longer and more efficient and productive lives. I will not be drawn into women’s lib issues other than to say that the Bible is vividly clear that the man should be the head of the household and men should love their wives as Christ loved the church, (which means we should literally be willing to die for them as Christ died for His church). God does not change with the times or politics of the day and his laws have always stood, (just as they will stand throughout all time). If someone does not like this passage, then please take it up with God and leave me off your e-mail list. In Proverbs it states that “Every word of God is pure. He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.” I put my trust in Him and pray that He will “shield” me from the wrath of the pen of all women’s lippers today.

The Bible states that he who finds a spouse finds a “good thing” and obtains favor from the Lord. I can vouch for that. I view my wife as a wonderful blessing from God and I appreciate God’s steering her to me very much. My wife is my anchor and keeps me on course and has saved me from my inner demons. We are opposites in many ways. My weak points are offset by her strong points and vice versa. We effectively complement each other in many ways.

In the final analysis, “all” of us are different. Some are dominant; others want someone else to take the lead. I am bored silly with much of life already and cannot imagine how boring it would be if everyone was the same. If your friends are not like you in their views towards marriage, but they do not seem to mind, then let them enjoy their relationship and stand down with your advice. Much like the verse below you just might be savagely bitten if you go meddling in someone else’s marriage and life.

Proverbs 26:17
He who passes by and meddles
in a quarrel not his own
Is like one who takes a dog by
the ears.