Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Earning Your PhT

After several years of hard work, my pastor recently obtained his Doctorate Degree in Divinity. He could not attend the Graduation ceremony held by the University where he completed his studies because he was out of the county at the time. So, we held a brief ceremony for him at church. The worship band played “Pomp and Circumstance” and 3 leaders from our congregation who also hold Doctorates performed the ceremony. It was a very sweet moment and we were all very proud of his accomplishment.

The coolest part of the ceremony, I thought, was when they called his wife up on the stage to join him. After they conveyed the PhD to Pete, they recognized his wife Kathy for the hard work and dedication that she had put in to support him. They gave her an honorary PHT…Putting Him Through. She got a standing ovation.

There are so many women and men like my pastor’s wife, who make sacrifices every day so their spouse’s hopes and dreams can be realized. Often, these partner’s efforts go unnoticed and unappreciated because everyone is focusing on the accomplishments of their spouse. My own husband struggles with this…he half-jokingly says he used to be called Alton, but know he’s known as Tami’s husband. But, the fact of the matter is, that I could not do what I do if he was not there to support me.

If your spouse is the one who takes care of the day to day stuff so that you can do what you do…I have a challenge for you. Take time today to write him or her a note of thanks. It doesn’t have to be long, just a few lines to express your appreciation will do. And, if you are not married, write a note to someone else who could use a little appreciating right now.

Finally, if you are the “behind the scenes” spouse, know that your work does not go unnoticed. Even when it seems that no one else sees the sacrifices you make each day, God always notices. And, He is glorified whenever we serve each other with a humble heart.

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