My involvement in family life classes has opened numerous television opportunities for me.
After a solo shot in Calgary one night, the moderator, cameramen, and group from the control room escorted me off the sound stage with a multitude of questions and comments.
The most interesting one came from the host who had interviewed me.
"Mrs.
Van Pelt," he ventured, "you aren't at all like any of the popular books I've scanned on womanhood.
" With a laugh, I asked him not to repeat that to any of my students, but I understood the meaning behind his words, he and the entire group had become genuinely intrigued by my presentation.
They had not expected a woman to speak out on the subject of traditional marriage animatedly, humorously, and forcefully.
They had envisioned the typical "submissive wife" as an opinionless doormat, an abject slave catering to every whim of her superior lord and master, and whining martyr who works her fingers to the bone - short, a woman with no personality, originality, individuality, or identity.
As I see it, God's plan for marital happiness includes supportive mates.
Instead of competing for the leadership role or becoming a nonperson under total domination, a supportive wife not only allows her husband to lead but also encourages his leadership through her support of his decisions.
Even though she adapts her life to that of her husband's, she strives to be just as capable, intelligent, industrious, organized, efficient, warm, tender, and gracious as the ideal woman described in Proverbs 31.
she is neither servile nor a household drudge, but she is the executive vice-president of the family firm.
Marriage is a complementary, supportive relationship, and the key word is supportive.