thirtyoneblog

I read a great book this past week, It’s All About Him by Denise Jackson. You probably know her better as the wife of country music star Alan Jackson. I heard about this book on the radio and they were talking about how the title of the book probably leads some to believe the book is Denise’s thoughts on her husband. It isn’t. Well, it sort of is, but she’s not saying “it’s all about Alan.” She’s saying, “It’s all about Jesus.” When I heard that, I decided this would be an interesting read for sure.

This book is an interesting glimpse into the life of a fairly private celebrity couple, but more than that, it’s a great lesson about marriage that can apply to anyone, whether they are famous or not. The Jacksons met in high school, married at 19 and 21, and had three children while he was building his career. They were believers, but like so many others, Jesus was more or less on the back burner. They were focused on their lives and making them better, and got way too wrapped up in that and each other and their children.

After 18 years of marriage, they separated. She says that it had a lot to do with her outlook. She was totally wrapped up in her husband and his career. She made few if any decisions on her own, did very little that he wasn’t involved with, and most of all, neglected her spiritual walk. Then with her husband gone, she felt at first like there was nothing left. That was when she turned back to prayer and Bible study and fellowship with other believers. That was when she experienced a rebirth like no other. She says that she would never choose to go through what they went through again, but having experienced it was an enormous blessing because it brought her focus back where it belonged. After they reconciled, they kept a much better balance with Jesus first and spouse after that.

I think many of us struggle with this. Many wives, whether they are strong independent women or meek and mild ones, focus on the husband as the all-important relationship. We get so wrapped up in our marriages and what might make them better that it’s too easy to neglect the most important relationship of all. We could all use a step back to regroup and remember what’s really important. Marriages are incredibly important, but they are second to our spiritual walk, or they ought to be at any rate.

There’s a lesson in this book for every wife, whether she’s famous or the girl next door.