My Fireproof Surprise

Recently I had a few days of which things were getting on top of me, I was behind in all my housework and was feeling very frustrated about it. When I feel like this it affects me spiritually, I feel like I am failing in the role God has called me to. As I was feeling so stressed out, it was nice when my husband came home early from work and told me that he had a surprise planed for me for later that evening. Sadly I was having a rough day emotionally, physically and spiritually and for the rest of the afternoon I failed in every possible way to be a godly wife to my husband. I snapped at everything he said and found fault in everything he did. I do thank God for the Holy Spirit who abides in me, because He convicted me of this sin and in the end I went to my husband and apologised for my behaviour. By this time I was thinking I had ruined the surprise, but my husband reassured me that everything was okay. Later at night my husband put the children to bed. It was nice to have the peace and quite after such a stressful day. When he finally told me that the surprise was a film. I tried not to look and sound disappointed but honestly I just thought great. The last thing I wanted was the temptation to watch a worldly godless movie, I was already feeling spiritually low and did not want anything to add to that, I have a very weak and sensitive conscience and God has taught me very early in my Christian walk to always listen to the voice of my conscience. My husband knows how I feel about most films of today, in fact I hardly watch them, they do nothing to help me grow in the Lord, and I do not see how watching those films is doing all to the glory of God, Colossians 3:17. I can not falter between two opinions I serve the Living God. I personally do not know how other believers in Christ watch these Hollywood films that contain every sin under the sun and still have a right relationship with our Holy God, its something I can not fathom. So anyway I was disappointed that my husband had chosen a film out of all the things to surprise me, but he reassured me that it was a good film and told me not to worry. He had a cheeky grin on his face so I gave him the benefit of doubt and decided to watch the film with him.

As the film started to my shock and amazement, it was the movie I had been waiting for for months. I looked at my husband speechless for a moment as I did not know what to say. I could not believe he had managed to get this film for me. It was Fireproof! Last year when it came out in America, I was so exited because I thought it was going to come to the UK cinemas too. I wanted my husband and I to go and watch it together for his birthday, but I was disappointed when I learnt that it was not coming to the UK cinemas, I was so upset because I had been looking forward to watching it with my husband, the trailer was just so good. But now there I was sitting in my own living room with my husband, and Fireproof playing on our screen. It was just the most beautiful surprise! But then I got a little worried as I was thinking my husband was not going to enjoy the film because it was a Christian movie. I was wrong. As the film went on I realised my husband was enjoying it as much as I was. It is by far the best movie I have ever watched. Towards the end I could not stop crying, I was not only crying because the film was beautifully presented, but I was also crying because I could not believe my husband had done this for me.

When the film finished my husband told me how during the day he had felt exactly like the character Caleb. How he was trying so hard to please me but I was not even appreciating or taking notice of all he was doing. He told me that at one point he felt like giving up, but because he knew how much I wanted to watch this film so he persevered and did not want the surprise to be ruined. God opened a door for me to talk to my husband at to why I had been feeling low. Its amazing how God used the movie Fireproof to open a door for me to discuss biblical issues with my husband. I told him how I so wanted to be a virtuous wife and to please him, that when I failed to be a godly wife I was supposed to be I stumble in my walk as a believer. I then told him of the woman described in the bible as the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31. My husband asked me if this virtuous woman had maids. When I told him she did, what he said was the most beautiful and encouraging words I have ever heard from my husband," Well, if this proverbs wife had maids, you are doing a pretty good job considering you have no maids and you are raising 3 very young children and keeping this home at the same all by yourself, without any household help. You look after the children, you clean, you cook, and you manage this home. The children are happy. Never beat yourself up and think you are not a good wife or a good mother, not many woman can do what you are doing. To be honest Jean, some women do well, but never have I seen a woman who does what you do".

I could not believe what was happening or what I was hearing. I was overwhelmed with the goodness of God. I had just finished watching Fireproof with my husband and he was just praising me and even told me that my cooking was the best. I felt really encouraged and my heart was filled with unexplainable joy. There are times I just feel so discouraged that I am tempted in my weakness to give up. So it was so beautiful to hear such encouraging words from my husband who is not even a believer. It did relieve a huge burden off my shoulder, the burden of worry, the burden of guilt, the burden of always thinking I am not good enough a wife and the burden of doubting God in submitting to my husband. Before and even after I got saved, I used to spend a lot of time adorning myself with all the expensive braiding of hair, fashionable clothes and jewellery. I treasured outward beauty so much and I believed it was my strongest weapon to win my husband's praise. I am not saying I now neglect my physical appearance but God has taught me that my looks should never be what describes me as a woman, God looks at the heart. God humbled me and led me to 1 Peter 3:4-6 and Proverbs 31:30. The true beauty that God desires in a woman is godliness, this beauty will never fade away. My husband made me realise that he appreciated my inward beauty far more than my outward beauty. I was encouraged to continue in the path I am on and not to lose heart, it felt as though it was the Lord himself who was encouraging me. Now I know I should never become weary in doing good, for my labour in Christ is never in vain, 1 Corinthians 15:58.
This was a beautiful surprise for me, not only from my husband but from the Lord as well. Even though my husband did not get saved from watching Fireproof, (something I was not expecting anyway), we were so blessed by this film. My husband even said Fireproof was a far better film than most he had ever watched and said he had taken down a few notes on how to be a better husband. I could not stop praising God in my heart, watching Fireproof with my husband was an answer to prayer and hearing my husband's praise for me was by far the most beautiful thing I have ever heard from him.