True husbanding

Leslee Godfrey Allen

LOOKING for someone? Need help in carrying out household tasks? Could you use more affection? Do you want support in meeting financial obligations? In a marriage, these are the kinds of demands—small and large—that people often make on their spouses. But married or not, each of us needs to ask himself or herself, Is a human being my real support?

The Bible declares, "Thy Maker is thine husband" (Isa. 54:5). If we think of God as far away, as an unreachable power, removed from our daily lives, it would be rather ridiculous to expect God to be able to husband us. But the Bible leads us to see the relation of God and man as very close. The Psalmist calls God "our refuge and strength, a very present help" (Ps. 46:1). And St. John describes God as Love (see I John 4:16). Love, God, is husbanding us; we are loved and cared for by Him. As we grow in confidence in our unbreakable relation to God, we experience greater fulfillment in our human experience, including greater appreciation for our spouse.

In the spring, we can enjoy the refreshing water coming from a creek or riverbed. But as the heat of summer comes, we may find that the area where we went before to enjoy the plentiful water supply has dried up. We may need to go farther upstream, closer to the source, the spring or lake. So in human circumstances, we may find that we are cut off from a person whom we are accustomed to depend upon for our needs. Seen in the light of the previous illustration, this can be an opportunity to "go up higher." As we go to God, we see He has actually always cared for our needs. God, the source of uninterrupted good, can be relied upon without fear. "Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need," Science and Health declares (p. 494).

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