Barbara Rainey -Letters to my Daughters: The Art of being a Wife

 Feb. 10, 2021

Several years ago I read the book mentioned above.  It talked about marriage in such an encouraging and positive way.  Barbara likened marriage to paintings that were masterpeices, grand architecture, fine cusine, elegant music, and so on. I hope to give you some highlights over the next few days about what I read in her book. I know you young mommas are very busy and don't have much time to read.  I hope these 'highlights' encourage you in your marriages. 

Chapter 1

This chapter built upon a painting called Golden Pine.  It is a massive 16 ft. x 22 ft. painting that picutures a tree that is made from 9 large squares and two thousand sheets of gold leaf applied to Japanese handmade paper.  A picture of a black tree against a gold background rising high.

Analogys:

- we want to be wives that are strong, always growing upward toward the One who made us and outward toward those God gave us to love

- each small panel in this picture has a specific purpose: our lives have many parts and purposes - sometimes we are to show empahty and silence, or strong words of truth, other times we back off, other times we give gentle nudgings

- in the painting the tree has it's various parts such as the roots and trunk: we too have pieces in our lives that that we use - being a helper, lover, one who respects, believes, and trusts. All parts must work together, connected, and intertwined daily. 

- marriage is to be like this painting: strong, growing, multifaceted, richly developed, and reflecting the Light of the Creator.

-the artist had to work with the 'parts' of his picture to make it look whole and complete.  He had to blend his work.  In marriage both husbands and wives are imperfect humans and can have a hard time blending their lives together into a beautiful marriage.  Marriage, like a masterpiece, takes time, money, energy, effort, and risk for it to be whole and healthy.

-some like to critique pieces of art and to give the artist a hard time.  In marriages, we sometimes critique our Master, and act as if we know more than He does rather than trusting Him and His design for marriage. 

-our marriages are meant to be beautiful masterpieces to the world who is watching.  They are to show the goodness, power, and beauty of God. Our marriages are to make others want to know God.  

Stay tuned for more chapters and analogies about marriage.  Making our marriages whole, healthy, and glorifying to God is so very important.