savior {with a lower-case "s"}

I was upstairs yesterday evening, changing Moriah's diaper, when I heard the minivan drive into the garage. Quick as a flash, this thought sprang into my head: "Oh, good!  Jeff's home.  Everything will be all right now."

It wasn't as if everything had been not all right until that point.  There were no major disputes happening, no meltdowns, nobody bleeding, no pots boiling over on the stove.  But I was feeling depleted from the demands of the day, and it was easy to see Jeff as a rescuer.

"I wonder," I mused, "how many women, especially stay-at-home moms, are awaiting the arrival home of their husbands right now, just like I've been doing.  I imagine that all up and down the East Coast, and soon in other time zones across the country, there are thousands of women probably counting down the minutes until relief, in the shape of their man, walks in the door."

I know, of course, that there is only one Savior; and I would never suggest that Jeff or any other husband could possibly come close to offering what Jesus did.  So I'm not talking about eternal salvation from sin and hell!  But this is how at least one stay-at-home mom (me!) sometimes feels by the end of the day:

~ I'm so tired.  Save me.

~ My ears are buzzing from all the noise I've been hearing all day.  As much as I love the sound of my kids' voices, I need a break!  Save me.

~ I ran out of words at approximately 3:18 this afternoon, but for some reason my kids haven't.  They still want to tell me things and ask me questions, and it's all I can do to force myself to respond graciously to them.  Save me.

~ I'm so discouraged by all the household things that I can't seem to find the time for.  I don't know how to meet the needs of my children AND catch up on the laundry.  Save me.

~ I can't even think of one interesting anecdote from the day to relate at the dinner table.  I hope someone else has some funny stories to tell.  Save me.

~ The boys are pushing all of each other's buttons, and I've run out of creative solutions for restoring peace between them.  Save me.

~ My brain is mush.  Save me.

~ My heart is heavy by all the needs of those I love, both here and far away.  Save me.

~ My little girl's been so clingy this afternoon, and I feel like a one-armed wallpaper hanger trying to get anything done with her in my arms.  I know she just wants comfort, but I just want two arms to work with!  Save me.

~ These cold winter days and early nights have driven us all a little mad.  We need a cheerful diversion.  Save me.

And so it goes...

I've learned during the past 16 years of marriage, that it's not fair in the least for me to expect Jeff to swoop in and solve all of these problems every evening as soon as he gets home from work, so I don't lay that expectation on him.  But there are times--like yesterday--when he does just that.  

The wonderful thing about being married so long is that sometimes, without exchanging words, the partners in the marriage dance can pick up on clues about what their spouse needs.  I didn't even need to say last evening, "Jeff, please be lively tonight, because I'm dragging so much I couldn't beat a snail in a foot race."  I didn't need to let him know that I was tired of talking and I couldn't think of anything else to say and please answer the boys' questions because I just can't.  I don't know whether he even thought about it or whether he unconsciously did it, but he stepped into the gap beautifully and showed his strength in all of my weak areas.

See how they clustered around him?  That whole "Jeff is the sun" thing at work again.  :)

The big thrill last evening was Jeff showing them some things about how to do CPR.

David took a turn being the unfortunate "victim."  ;-)

Learning about CPR was fun for them, it was useful, and (best of all for my mental state last evening), I didn't have anything to do with it.

My savior to the rescue.

He might arrive in a green minivan rather than on a white horse; but when I hear that familiar hum in the garage in the evening, one thing is for sure: my Prince Charming just showed up.  :)

And sometimes, just when I need it most, "salvation" is near.