Priscilla's Page

"And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone, I will make him a helpmeet for him." So he did. "Made he a woman . . . and they shall be one flesh" (Genesis 2:18, 22, 24).

When the Lord says something is not good, believe it is not good! If you have lived long enough to know, it is not good to live alone. God improved man's state of being when he took from Adam and made Eve. Adam was searching among the animals he named for the Lord for a mate. "And Adam gave names to all the cattle and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found an helpmeet for him" (Genesis 2:20). It was planned for Adam to have a companion. God took a rib from Adam and made a woman! He brought her unto Adam to be named, a name first dignified by the Lord. This creation would be loved and appreciated enough for man to leave all behind and "cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh . . ." (Genesis 2:24-25). The pure beauty of it all was that they were not ashamed! God made Adam to care for the Garden of Eden and woman to care for man.

Today when a man establishes his home, choosing a wife to cleave to, they shall be one flesh, living together as man and wife, not ashamed, just as in the beginning. Together, they are to dress and keep the home, as Adam and Eve were to do.

What can and does happen when 'the rib' becomes not only a helper in the home but also a wage earner outside that abode? Any number of temptations can arrive on the doorstep, waiting for the proper invitation to enter. Once inside, these serpent-like thoughts, actions or habits may cause the home to become nothing more than a place to hang one's hat.

Should a wife just follow along behind? Of course not! Should she then barge out ahead to be in front? Where in Adam's day did God place the wife? She was to walk in the Garden by the man's side to be his helper, to share his life. Therein lies the answer.

In the home today, there are countless works to be done to keep it as it should be kept. If a woman works outside the home, often the home comes second. An outside occupation takes away valuable time from the homemaker. Not only the home as the abode, obviously the family within those walls will feel the neglect of the wife and mother.

Some may get the faint idea I do not approve of two-party wage earning taking place in the home today. I sympathize with the whole situation, but find it difficult to agree to the helpmeet going outside the actual limits of her Garden of Eden to 'find' anything! Eve lent her time and interest from her assigned work by engaging in a subtle conversation with the serpent in the Garden and fell headlong into a trap! Are the twentieth century women prepared to do combat with the evils of the so-called modern world and come away unscathed?

How about the 'latch-key' kids who wait behind locked doors for their parents to arrive home? This will never happen to you and yours you say. What about the child who watches endless hours of TV, waiting while mother frantically tries to catch up on neglected household duties? Nurturing the child is part of keeping the home. Then, there is Adam, if you please. He should be entitled to some of the time and respect of the wife too, shouldn't he? Last, but not least, the wife should be able to have a special freedom within the home she shares. The time spent to pamper and prepare for those most loved is never spent unwisely just as long as equal care is given to the comfort of the family as a whole.

Jesus warned Martha. Her household duties kept her from sitting down to listen to the 'good part' of the visit from her guest, Jesus. Perhaps we need to check our priorities and make some changes. Let us learn from the lesson Jesus so freely offered.

Do two paychecks really raise the standard of living all that much? Could the scale be lowered enough to allow mother to remain the keeper in the house? It may mean a few less toys and trinkets, fewer clothes and maybe no Saturday or weekend excursions for a long while, but what is to be valued the most? Worldly possessions, that gratify the earthly desires or a home completely anchored in the wisdom and knowledge of God's love? We are to dress and keep the home as the Lord wished. I somehow get the distinct impression that God wanted a helpmeet for the man, not someone totally absorbed in earning a living!

A woman is a part of man, a real comfort and a constant companion to love and cherish. The home is a choice given to both a man and a woman. It is a better way of living for each. The home is a place of sharing and togetherness. Time has not changed the words of the Bible! The wife should always be at the husband's side, one of his ribs!