Realignment

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing[b] her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband."
Ephesians 5:25-33

In my meditations this morning, the scripture, "cleansing her by the washing with water through the word", was dropped into my thoughts, as when I turned to the scripture here I was sort of surprised/reminded of a couple things: a husband (which I am one) is to love his wife in the same same way Jesus loves us. The cares, concerns, and needs of the bride come first, over the husband. Wives shouldn't have to respond to selfish impositions and commands of the husband, because of force, threat, or the wrong interpretation of submission that many men lord over wrongly over their wives, but instead desire to please her husband by returning and reinforcing that love circle. Marraige between a husband and wife is an earthly reflection of a most holy union between Jesus and the Church, of which we are. Washing with water through the Word speaks of renewal, rejuvenation, and realignment, where our vision gets shifted back onto our Abba Father/Bridegroom/Master. He is the only source of real satisfaction, peace, security, joy, love, and acceptance. Our journey here is not supposed to be about us, it's supposed to be all about Him, and as long we walk this way, and listen to the voice of our Beloved, and not ourselves, the Lord will take care of the rest.