Former pastor’s wife here.
I say” former” because after 20 years, my husband
stepped away from church ministry.
There was nothing nefarious. We loved our church and
community. Our kids were raised in Arkansas, grew to
know the Lord and were baptized in that sweet, small
town of Lavaca.
We simply needed more.
We sought more, by doing less.
More time with our kids, less time spent watching other kids grow up.
More intimate talks within our home, less speaking behind the pulpit.
More room for family traditions, less church obligations.
Because our families, our kids, should be our first and most important ministry and
unfortunately, we can get so wrapped up in church busyness, we lose sight of what
really matters.
My husband is now a high school teacher (a ministry in it’s own!)
And now he’s finally home.
We get him for longer weeknights, simply watching a family movie or playing a game.
We get him for full weekends, simply working on the new house or going to a family
birthday party.
We get him for summer fun, no more weeks away for church camp, but simple weeks
spent at home as a family, or traveling together.
We get all of him and I never knew how much we needed him.
I can’t help but feel this is how it’s meant to be.
Take away the complicated church opinions, strip away the politics, the preferences,
and get back to the basics.
God made you and loves you.
God has given you a family to love and bring towards Him.
God doesn’t want your life to be full of misleading substitutes.
He wants your life to be full of Christ-centered simplicity.
Written by,
Lauren Crews
About Lauren: Lauren is an avid reader and writer. She’s had her blog, www.themessyblog.com, for
over 10 years. She’s an advocate on mental health, finding God in the darkness, and
therapy for all! When she has to be an adult, she works from home for a fancy carpet
company. She loves being with her husband of 14 years, her 2 kids, and her Old
English Sheepdog, Remy. You can find her on Instagram (@elle.crews) where she posts
the simple things that bring her joy.
Thank you so much for your blog post entry, Lauren!
Comment below if this resonated with you!
