How to Love And Live With An Unemployed Husband.

 

I had come home earlier than usual so I wasn’t expecting anybody at home. I unlocked the door and went into the bedroom only to find my husband in bed. He got out of bed and came to hold me. I just knew that something was wrong so l sat down on the edge of the bed and he sat with me.

After a minute or two, l asked him why he was home so early and where the company car was. He was emotional as he broke the news to me. ” Darl, l lost my job”. We held hands for what seemed like an eternity and I told him, “we will be okay”. This was a man who loved to work. His joy was providing for his family and others. He put his needs last to take care of my siblings, paying school fees and making sure they had the education he never had. To his credit, l have siblings with professional degrees. 

He is overly kind and generous and he has a servant’s heart. I have never made breakfast. He will make breakfast and serve me like l am a guest and given the chance, he would serve me in bed. He didn’t mind serving me breakfast, lunch, and dinner in bed. At a point l told him, l would be obese if l let him so to make him stop, l got out of bed anytime l smelled anything cooking in the kitchen so he stopped. All he needed was my size and he would buy for me anything and l would gladly take it because he bought it for me. If l did not like it, I would subtly tell him. He loved his children and would stop at nothing to do anything for them. 

I was not going to let him crush, no way! I prayed for strength and grace for the journey ahead. I prayed, cried in secret, worked, and did all sorts of jobs.  He also tried everything to secure a job but nothing was forthcoming. Life didn’t suddenly become rosy. At some point, we had to pray and trust God for food, salt sugar, and other little things we took for granted. School fees were an added stress. It wasn’t easy. 

My siblings begged us to concentrate on ourselves while they tried to fend for themselves. My husband insisted that we share what we had with them. They brought us the produce from their farms to support us. Such love! I wanted to further my education but l just didn’t want to leave the family struggling because l was the only income earner. He took me in his arms one morning and said “Darl, it’s fine. You can go back to school. We will survive”. I took his word and applied for school in Legon. I got it and went back to school while he tended the house. We held onto the Lord and believed Him to take away our troubles.