Marcus was animated. “That’s what God intended men to do. God put Adam to work in the garden. It’s frustrating. I want to work. I’m a good worker. And I want for you to stay home with the kids. That’s the ideal. That’s God’s will. And God says if we ask according to his will then he will answer our prayer, eventually.”
Lauren was realistic. “I can do things from home you know. That Proverbs 31 woman was working all the time. It’s just that all her work revolved around her husband and children. It says, ‘She looks well to the ways of her household.’”
They had this conversation a lot, especially when driving home after services like they were this Sunday evening. “Okay, do me a favor,” Marcus said. “Go to biblegateway.com on your iPhone and do a keyword search for ‘work’ but limit it to Proverbs. Let’s see what it says.”
In about thirty seconds Lauren was tapping through a list of scriptures. She read the relevant results out loud as Marcus was driving…
“Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.”
(Marcus: “Now I just need some land to work.”)
“From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good, and the work of a man’s hand comes back to him.”
(Lauren: “I bet someone you know will come through for you.”)
“Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys.”
(Marcus: “I’m a good worker. I guess I’m a brother to him who builds.”)
“Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.”
(Marcus: “See! That’s you! The president of TJC came to your office to thank you for your good work!”)
“Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house.”
(Lauren…hand on her abdomen…“the house is already being built.”)
She was quiet as they pulled into the parking lot of their apartment complex. He parked and took the keys out of the ignition. Still quiet. He turned and looked at her and she was looking out the window. It was raining. The drops of rain made that sound as they spattered on the window. He looked back outside. They sat this way for a good five minutes. It started to get cold. Finally he turned back to her and held her left hand. He could feel the diamond on her wedding ring poking his fingers. “Lauren, we are seeking God’s kingdom and his righteousness and praying about this. He’ll add everything else.”
Lauren squeezed his hand but she kept looking out the window. “You’re wrong Marcus. He’s not going to add, he’s going to multiply.”
More about Marcus Redding’s journey of faith next week.
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