Philmont: Tuesday – Real Women

Philmont Ranch Wrangler, hearding the horses while the sky threatens a storm.

 When our spouses work overtime in their callings, we work overtime at home. There is something about the presence, alone, of a Father in the home that makes life easier, more pleasant and happy and when it is gone, life is tougher for everyone. On Tuesday, we were privileged to hear from the General Young Men’s presidency and their lovely, courageous wives. They encouraged us, sympathized with us and prayed for us like no one else could. President Beck spoke openly of the guilt he often felt for leaving his wife and small children while he served in the Young Men’s, giving me whole new understanding and respect for my husbands feelings about his calling. After he spoke, I resolved myself to never let  my husband hear me complain. Sister Beck spoke of the unique calling that we as the wives of YM’s leaders have. She spoke of the blessings that come from our support and she taught me through her personal experiences, to give my husband a moment or two after he returns from YMs, to let the Spirit, that he brings with him, permeate our home, before I bombbard  him with the day’s events.  Sister Ochoa asked us to give examples of things we do to make the most of our husband’s time with us. It was a question that stumped most of us but of course there were the outstanding answers that included date night “EVERY FRIDAY no matter what”, and temple trips “at least once a week,” and the list went on like that until, one woman raised her hand and said, “Are there any REAL women in this room, because it is all I can do not to fight with him when he gets home.” Oh see, now I knew the answer to this one! My hand shot up. I felt like Hermione in Harry Potter. I knew this one by heart. Sister Ochoa asked, “Does anyone have an answer for this sister?” My heart raced and I pushed my arm up higher, added a jazz hand and even wiggled it a little but to no avail…..there wasn’t time. Sister Gibson spoke next and answered the question in a beautiful way. She said, “We married the men we prayed for.” She, recited her own prayer as a young woman and it sounded so much like my own. “Please Heavenly Father if I could just marry a good, righteous man.” The way she said it so humble, so meek. She didn’t ask for riches, she didn’t ask for looks but a righteous man. It was what I had asked for, a righteous man. There is comfort, knowing that when he is away he is training young men to be better husbands and better fathers, all the while he is learning more and more about being a better father and husband himself. Is there a more noble cause? Does that not make the long days and nights, without him, seem less difficult? Does that not make you want to praise him, lift him up and even do his dirty camp laundry without complaint? I am lucky. I have been blessed to see the difference my husband makes in the lives of the Young Men he works with, I have received letters from grateful single mothers who were kind enough to share the blessing my husband was in their life, and I have been blessed to see my husband become even more than what I prayed for by serving in his calling. Is it difficult? YES! Is it lonely? YES! But this knowledge sustains me, that there are a few more good men out there because I was lucky enough to marry one and I’m smart, competent and independent enough to support him.