Would You Do This Job?
Imagine you’re the wife of the leader of an organization. Your husband not only puts in his time at the office, he’s on call 24/7. Every other person in the organization is at liberty to call him at any time—not just about the organization, but to help them handle personal crises, arguments, medical emergencies, etc. It won’t matter that your children have a ballgame or a recital, or that it’s your wedding anniversary. He’ll be expected to respond, and you may need to go with him, even if you’re both exhausted.
Of course, there will be fun events, too. You’ll be invited to weddings, baby showers, birthday celebrations, and other parties given by the people in the organization, even if your only contact with them is at official organizational meetings. It can be awkward to refuse and expensive to attend, so you’ll need to be both a diplomat and a financial genius.
You’ll also be expected to supplement your husband’s job skills, and you’ll probably be asked to fill in for others in the organization when they’re sick, on vacation, or just tired of doing their jobs. In fact, you might be asked to do jobs that the organization never managed to get anyone else to do. It’s no wonder very few unmarried men are hired for your husband’s position!
Unfortunately, you will not be receiving a paycheck for this work. Yet, in spite of your volunteer status, you’ll be evaluated along with your husband. You’ll be judged, not just on your work for the organization, but on your manner of dress, your attitude, the way you spend money, cook, and keep house. Oh, and you’ll be expected to raise children who are more obedient than the children of the other parents in the organization.
And, if you manage to do all that, you must remain humble in spite of your superhuman accomplishments.
You’d have to be crazy to take a job like that. Or you’d have to be a pastor’s wife.
~dh