Fridays

For most people, today is the end of the work week and the hallowed beginning of the weekend.  For me, however, today is the first day of the weekend. For the last two years, I have had almost every Friday off from school or work.
In the beginning, I claimed this day as mine. My own day to do what I pleased since, of course, I earned it. It usually included coffee with a friend, something stupid on Netflix, lunch with another friend, and probably a nap or something else entirely lazy and unproductive.
I realized after a while that I was more stressed, selfish, and unfulfilled than I had been in a long time. As I looked over my hectic weeks, and the things I was doing to fill my time, I realized where the problem was. I didn't want to admit it at first. I wanted to continue my self-absorbed lifestyle. So I asked the one person that would give me an immediate, unbiased answer: my husband -
"When you come home at the end of the day, knowing I've had the day off, what pleases you most when you hear what I've done with my day?"
I truly, honestly hoped he would respond with an easy answer such as: a clean house, a smiling wife, or dinner on the table.
If I can be real for a minute, I will admit that those things are easy for me. Cleaning, cooking and smiling run through my blood. They happen when I am in my happiest places in life. When my heart is full of joy and giving. 
However, as I suspected, my husband answered "knowing that you had quality time with the Lord makes me happier than anything else."
As always, when my husband's words pierce my heart with truth, tears welled up in my eyes.
Since then (I can't say every Friday, since I am fallible and imperfect), as soon as he leaves for the last day of his work week, I turn on the worship music, I grab my bible, my journal and a cup of hot tea, and I sit in front of the fireplace in my living room to bow before my King, and lay my selfish, unfulfilled, stressed cries at His feet. 
While this time before the Lord has proved difficult on different occasions, He has blessed it richly by putting a smile on my husband's face when he arrives home from another crazy work week and hears the words "I had an incredible time with the Lord this morning."
Being married has challenged me in so many ways. My favorite is this: my husband knows me so well, that he knows how important a few solid hours with the Almighty are to my well-being, and he holds me accountable to my needs. I have this time out of obedience to God and out of encouragement from my husband. God makes and fulfills promises during the times that I have with Him, and I am so blessed to have a husband that understands the importance of my personal relationship with our Lord and its affect on our marriage.