in which a job promotion does not grant me positional authority.

So Fred and I are moving....again.

Overall, Fred's been more excited about the move than I have been...mostly excited to return to Grand Rapids and all the convenience it offers. Though we both love the simpler life and the awesome people Plainwell offers, I understand his viewpoint.

My husband really is the "bees knees". He stands up for his own opinions, isn't afraid to call me out on my crap, and works hard - usually two employers at a time. Which brings me to a needed point of clarity to my conservative evangelical friends who still think the man is the sole "leader" and "primary maker of bacon" (side note: insert sarcastic air quotes as needed).

In the marriage relationship, there should be no gender discrimination as to who earns a higher income or receives more advancement opportunities in the workplace. I think it is rather endearing when Fred told me he'd love to be a stay-at-home dad someday (though I gently reminded him that the job of stay-at-home dad includes washing dishes, and then I received the usual "ehhhh!" remark with the obligatory follow-up tongue sticking out at me, haha...)

Just because I have lady parts does not eliminate me from the outside workforce. Similarly, so we're all on the same playing field, a man should not be eliminated from contributing to work inside the home....

(All of a sudden I feel like I've been placed squarely in the 1950s and 60s...anyway....)

....nor does having lady parts prohibit me from receiving a promotion a work that inevitably causes our two-unit family to move. Every time we have moved, I have partnered alongside my husband to ensure his job transitions are as effortless as possible. And every time we have moved, my husband is quick to support me in all my endeavors. What a joy he is to me!

With success also come challenges that only speak into our financial needs, not into lengthy discussions of "who now holds the coveted 'breadwinner' title".

Fred and I are partners. We stand shoulder-to-shoulder as each other's ezer kenegdo. When one is down, the other lifts up. When one is given success and promotion, the other is not subjected to the ridiculous notion of positional authority - as the word "head" in Scripture posits a "source" or "origin", not "leader" or "overlord".

So no matter how many times we move or who gets what job where, my marriage is a team, a co-rulership, a sweet love affair for which I am ever grateful to God.