A WARNING AND A REWARD!
September 9, 2022FAITH OF A REGINA
September 11, 2022Have you considered Joseph, the husband of Mary? He hardly gets any mention in the advent account mentioned in the Bible. Between the two, Mary gets all the limelight, and Joseph has to conted to be in the shadows. Yet, he dignifiedly stood behind his more ‘famous’ spouse, in an age when men got all the privileges as their birthright. He doesn’t seem to have any complaints.
Joseph speaks of a man who willingly plays the “second fiddle” to his wife, and does it with honour and dignity. Marriages and relationships stand and thrive, because one of the spouses is willing to step down a bit, and ungrudgingly, is willing to play the second fiddle for life.
Another example is that of Queen Elizabeth II, and her husband Prince Philip. The Prince had his place, but it certainly was not in measure to his capabilities and capacity. Yet, he stepped back, and always walked a couple of paces behind his wife, the Queen Elizabeth II, without any qualms.
No wonder they were married for 73 years, and that only the death of the Prince separated them. Here, in her own words, Queen Elizabeth sums up her thoughts about her husband, Prince Philip – “All too often, I fear, Prince Philip has had to listen to me speaking. Frequently we have discussed my intended speech beforehand and, as you will imagine, his views have been expressed in a forthright manner. He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years, and I, and his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know.”
There is a lesson for our families to know and follow. Families stand not because we champion human rights and equality. They are good and nothing wrong with them. However, unless one of the spouses is willing to play the “second fiddle,” none of the families will ever stand and survive. Family is a unit, not an association, or the coming together of two individuals, passionately pursuing personal paths of success and glory. It simply doesn’t work that way. It is a sure recipe for failure.
