Just ONE word?

This weekend we had a team from my Uncle's church stay with us. There were 8 of them and for my little house thats a lot, but we had a lot of fun with a bbq and a fire with roasted marshmallows! 

As we were all sitting around the fire a question was asked to everyone, "If you could use one word to describe yourself what would it be?" and he finished it with "if you were to die today what one word would be on your tombstone." My husband and I didn't answer but as we listened we were impressed with some of the answers: dad, champion, trailblazer, legacy...

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The next day I was talking in the car with my husband and for some reason we got back to this one question, so we asked each other and I told him that when I first heard that question the first word that came into my head was "wife". And he looked at me all confused and said "really?" 

I know that maybe it sounds weird but I feel like God has called me to be a wife. I have such a passion inside for being a wife. When people think of that word they think of someone who sits at home and cleans the house, BUT there is so much more to it than that. If you haven't read Proverbs 31, you have too, you will then understand what it is truly like to be a wife. Here it is below:

A wife of noble character who can find?

    She is worth far more than rubies.

Her husband has full confidence in her

    and lacks nothing of value. 

She brings him good, not harm,

    all the days of her life.

She selects wool and flax

    and works with eager hands. 

She is like the merchant ships,

    bringing her food from afar.

She gets up while it is still night;

    she provides food for her family

    and portions for her female servants.

She considers a field and buys it;

    out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

She sets about her work vigorously;

    her arms are strong for her tasks.

She sees that her trading is profitable,

    and her lamp does not go out at night.

In her hand she holds the distaff

    and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

She opens her arms to the poor

    and extends her hands to the needy. 

When it snows, she has no fear for her household;

    for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

She makes coverings for her bed;

    she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

Her husband is respected at the city gate,

    where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

She makes linen garments and sells them,

    and supplies the merchants with sashes.

She is clothed with strength and dignity;

    she can laugh at the days to come.

She speaks with wisdom,

    and faithful instruction is on her tongue. 

She watches over the affairs of her household

    and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children arise and call her blessed;

    her husband also, and he praises her:

“Many women do noble things,

    but you surpass them all.”

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;

    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

Honor her for all that her hands have done,

    and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

I feel like I use this verse a lot on my blog but it really is the tagline to my life. It's what I want to be and who I strive to be everyday. I want to be an encouragement to other wives out there who feel like the word wife is just a word or a title of a job that has no respect. I want them to know the power behind saying that you are a WIFE and how much of an impact that gives you on others around.

So when I was asked the question what is the one word that I would want everyone to see on my tombstone, I would say wife, no doubt about it. And I would think of the Proverbs 31 wife and just hope that people would see the word "wife" and think that I portrayed the proverbs 31 wife well.

After telling my husband ALL of this, he looked at me and said "You know I don't tell you this a lot  but you are an AMAZING wife" And that's why I love him :)

Now a question for you: What one word would you use to describe your life?

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