The Pastor's Candle

Life is like a candle.

Marybeth Gessle is a pastor's wife from Gaston, Oregon. After many years in pastoral ministry her husband, Glen, now works in the Trust Department of the Oregon Conference. Marybeth has a degree in Home. Economics and Secondary Education and is currently working with people with special needs.

There is something intriguing about taking a new candle from its wrapping. The delicate, smooth, unscarred form seems to invite us never to burn it at all. But candles are for burning.

Life is like a candle. The conditions surrounding it determine how long it burns. Our lives, like candles, are meant to shine brightly. It matters how we burn our candle of life. Typically women live longer than men so we want to do all we can to help our husband's candles come out even with ours! We need to keep reminding ourselves of things we can do to encourage our husbands and help them live a fulfilling and quality lifestyle.

Promote Inner Jogging

Laughter is an instrument of happiness, a smile that burst. It is sunshine in a home. One of the greatest assets a man can have is a happy place to come home to. Make your times together extra-ordinary and fun. Seek to find comical things to share (Reader's Digest offers great spirit lifters for just before lights out). Much about ministry is serious so whatever lightness we can create helps to relieve underlying stress. There is much health in laughter!

Keep Him Moving

If your husband does not have an exercise program, encourage him to try just plain walking—and go with him when possible. Walking is the most natural movement known to man. It's also one of the most effective ways to stay in shape, and certainly among the most convenient. If fitting 30-minute walks into a busy day is impossible, take heart. Researchers at the University of Ulster in Ireland discovered that short bouts of brisk walking add up to as much benefit as one longer session. Squeezing in 10 minutes here and there throughout the day is much better than none at all, His body will thank you!

Push Nutrition

We truly are what we eat. Pack into your meals all the nutrition possible. Capitalize on whole foods in their most natural state. Ground (or blended) seeds (sesame, pumpkin, flax, pumpkin, etc.) are great for adding to muffins, cookies, breads and baked products. A spoonful here and there boosts the nutritional content tremendously without changing the taste. Replacing sugary desserts with natural goodness keeps the body system from clogging up. If need be, provide your husband with a water bottle of his own and urge him to drink as if his life depends on it—because it does! To have clear minds, we must first have healthy bodies. Do your man a favor and help him be healthy.

Give Him Ears

Take a real interest in what your husband does and be a good listener. Ministry can be a lonely job and if you won't listen and be a sounding board to him, there are others out there ready to take that job. A close, warm relationship between a man and wife is the first step in preventing unnecessary heartaches. Strive to be the most important person in each other's lives. We can actually enjoy a bit of heaven on earth. And that's actually just what God wants!

Defy Satan

The bottom line in life is balance. A person whose life is unbalanced short changes themselves on happiness and productivity. Too much or too little sleep, food, exercise, work or play offsets the system of living. It is the unbalanced life that makes us prey for the devil. He does not fight fair. He attacks us when tired, discouraged, hungry or sleep-deprived. As wives of dedicated men, we can help them have a harmonious relationship in all aspects of the person. Systematic devotional times does much to maintain a positive outlook and keep things in perspective. Our husbands may need help in blocking out time for this vital spot in their day.

It does matter how we burn our candles. If our candle of life came with written instructions, there might be a warranty something like this: "With great care, your candle will give you many years of enjoyment. But the Creator is not responsible for any damage or loss caused by neglect or misuse."

Burn your candle carefully and wisely and help your husband do the same. There is only one per customer!

Marybeth Gessle is a pastor's wife from Gaston, Oregon. After many years in pastoral ministry her husband, Glen, now works in the Trust Department of the Oregon Conference. Marybeth has a degree in Home. Economics and Secondary Education and is currently working with people with special needs.