Lizzy's Coming Home

Lizzy's coming home.  

*sigh*

Derick's dog is coming home.  

I don't even know what to write.  I got a phone call last night.  Her foster "mother" said that things weren't working out with Lizzy.  She said Lizzy wants to play with her dogs.  Her dogs are getting old and don't want to play.  Lizzy won't let up and it's causing fights between the dogs.  

I have to admit, I had my reservations when we found a new home for her.  Not because of the family.  They are my friends and they are dog-lovers.  I knew that they would do their best to take care of her.  No, it was because of Lizzy's personality.  She has such a strong desire to be the Alpha.  I wasn't sure how it would work out with other dogs.  

The problem is that this is a lose/lose situation.  Derick loves his dog and wants me to keep her.  I do not love the dog, nor do I want to keep her.  If I keep her and things continue the way they had been going, I'm afraid I will resent him for it.  If I get rid of her, he will resent me. 

I want to honor my husband.  I want to be a supportive wife.  Dare I say, even a submissive wife.  

Maybe the term is "Godly".  I want to be a Godly wife, even from the other side of the world.  

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to The Lord.  For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.  Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.  

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.  In the same way husbands should love their wives as own bodies.  He who loves his wife loves himself.  For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. 

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife and, and the two shall become one flesh.  This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.  However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.  

Ephesians 5:22-33

I realize that this is not the only description in scripture, of a Godly wife.  But, without going into all the detail, I think there is a lot more packed in those 11 verses than just for a woman to bend to her husband's wishes, and for a man to lord his authority over her.  

We've tried this before.  When Derick deployed in 2009, we had a yellow Lab and we had a 2-week old baby.  For obvious reasons, I could not take care of the Lab.  We discussed it before he left.  The dog had to go.  

This time is different.  This time I have kids who should be able to help me.  But, my kids all take after me.  I don't get really excited over animals, especially animals in my house.  

This time, Derick has pleaded with me to keep his dog.  

I think I need a bigger house... and a bigger, fenced in yard.  And maybe a screen door on my house, that actually closes, too.