A Wife of Noble Character is Her Husband’s Crown

…But a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones (Proverbs 12:4).

This verse hit my inbox and had me in my thoughts for a while. I’ve had friends accuse me of “Acting brand new”, I’ve had people that have known me for years say I’ve changed, while my close, long-time friends jokingly remind me of what I once was, or what I used to be and are proud of who I’ve become.

The truth is this. I have changed. Whether people around me like or not, I’ve changed for the better. I don’t do the things I used to do or say some of the things I used to say. I’m more myself now than I have ever been.

When Steven and I decided to make it official, Steven used to always remind me, “When they see you, they see me. You represent me that’s why I keep you happy”. He still reminds me of that today.

As a girlfriend then, and a wife now, I always want to make him look good because he’s always done the same for me. I’m not talking about looks wise or through materialistic things. Let’s be real, some of the nastiest people are the most attractive and the most wealthy.

I mean in a sense where I can walk into any room with or without Steven and he can be proud of me because of how I choose to carry myself. The best feelings are when he comes home from work and tells me that a co-worker of his had made a comment on how sweet I am, what a good job I’m doing at being a mom, or how pretty I am and I can tell he’s proud of it because he can’t wait to tell me as soon as he gets home.

Or when one of my bosses comments to him on how happy they are with me at the company parties and letting him know they’re never going to let me quit. I know it makes him proud to know I’m not just a pretty face, I’m one of the hardest workers he’s known to date with my own ambitions and not looking to be “kept”. When it comes to hard work, he almost always mentions to people in conversation that he hopes our son gets that from me.

The best compliments come from his family, which are the ones that matter the most to me because of how close he is to them. I love that after he gets off the phone with his mom or grandmother they always mention something kind or loving about me and I know it makes him proud.

I never want to let him down or put him in a position where people are talking bad about me, don’t want to be around him because of me, or put him in a place where he’s constantly having to defend my actions. I’ve seen wives be “tolerated” and it’s not a good look. Not only would that make my husband look bad, it would be draining for him, and I love him too much to want that for him.

I am my husband’s pride. If that means I have to avoid situations and even people that are going to break me out of my character and cause me to put pressure or stress on my husband, then so be it.

I am Mrs. Burks. Wife, mother, and crown.