The Pink Lightbulb
When we were still newlyweds and Ray was preaching in Mississippi, a Christian lady from a nearby town drove to our town once a week to teach the ladies in our church how to be good wives. I’m sure she taught us many profound lessons, but only two have stuck with me through the decades:
- Stop what you are doing and get yourself looking nice before your husband gets home from work.
- Buy a pink light bulb.
I work hard to follow her first point which isn’t exactly easy when your husband works at home like mine does. You might say he “gets home from work” when he gets up in the morning and stays home from work all day!
Now to explain the pink light bulb: You see, people’s skin looks best under the light of a pink light bulb — at least that is what the nice lady taught us. She is probably right. God certainly uses a lot of pink light outside my window in the afternoon.
I’ve only bought pink light bulbs one time and that was when our teacher offered to order them for us class members. Even though I haven’t bought any since, I’m glad she told me about the pink light bulb. I think there is a good lesson in it.
Following her first lesson is a lot like standing in the light of a pink light bulb. It helps our husbands see us in the best light. They are going to see us looking our worst sometimes when we can’t help it — like when we are sick or in labor or . . . well, you and I both know when we look our worst.
Just like getting myself ready and buying a pink light bulb are probably not the most profound things our teacher taught us, keeping ourselves “in the best light” isn’t the most profound thing we will ever do for our husbands, but it’s a start. It’s important. I don’t know a single husband who doesn’t appreciate it.
I think it’s a pretty profound way to say, “You are important to me. What you think matters to me.” I also think it is a great way to say, “I love you.”
I’m thankful for the sweet lady, whose name I don’t remember, who took her older woman role seriously to:
Encourage the young women to love their husbands.
Titus 2:4