Lauren Sparks

The Sparks Notes

  • Home
  • About
  • Favorites
  • Policies
  • Contact

A Book – and Husband – Review

February 12, 2018 by Lauren 6 Comments

Click the link below to see this on Amazon.

“What if it’s the little things that make a big difference?”  That’s the tag line for Melanie Shankle’s latest book Church of the Small Things.  With her Dave Barry-esque humor, the author challenges us to embrace the mundane.  To stop living for the grand gesture, mountain top type moments and realize the importance of our daily, faithful routines.

Toward the end of the book, Shankle (affectionately known to her fans as Big Mama), shared a quote from her daughter’s 7th grade English final:  “some people stand out more than others, like neon posters on a beige wall.”  She went on to explain that we don’t always take notice of the beige wall, but it is the thing that holds up the neon poster.  The beige wall allows the neon poster to shine bright.

I have the privilege of being married to a beige wall.  My husband is introverted and even-tempered.  He will never be called the life of the party.  He is a meat and potatoes, non-creative who prefers TV to books.  He doesn’t have money or power or a postgraduate degree.  What he does have is the respect of everyone who knows him.

Two different times this past year, Chuck found himself out of a job.  Both times he secured employment in relatively short order because someone he knew pursued him.  Not the other way around.  That’s what happens when you quietly live a life of integrity.  When you are genuine and warm and love others the way Jesus does, people want to be in community with you.  When you are hard-working, honest and loyal, people want to work with you.

In contrast, Chuck has two neon poster kind of kids.  His son is a med school student who has never met a stranger.  He’ll soon be a doctor with bedside manner to spare.  Our daughter Allie is an outgoing 7th grader with personality for days.  She is loud, fun-loving and infuriating.  She sings, acts, makes straight A’s, plays ukulele and volleyball.  And although I’m not as bright and shiny as the kids, I might categorize myself as a pale pink poster – somewhere between neon and beige.  I am social, like to crack a joke, and am creative – if only in my writing.

My husband hold us all up.  He is our physical, financial and emotional support.  He keeps us on a more even keel than we would keep ourselves and brings us down to earth when we get too big for our britches.  And he is our biggest cheerleader – shouting louder than anyone for the accolades, accomplishments, milestones and volleyball games.

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote of feeling like nothing was truly safe anymore.  You can find that post here.  Although I am already rebounding about life in general, even then, my husband was a safe place.  When everything else seemed to be crumbling around me, WE felt stronger than ever.  For this, and for so many other things, it is my privilege to be the one cheering HIM on.

I am so grateful for my strong, supportive, beige wall.

For more articles and ideas about loving well as a wife and mom, visit kindredmom.com this month!

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Comments

  1. E Adams Wright says

    February 12, 2018 at 9:11 pm

    A beautiful tribute to your "beige wall." Thanks for sharing it here (and for visiting my blog) Visiting from FMF. Blessings.

    Reply
  2. Lee Ann L. dlk3265 at gmail . com says

    February 12, 2018 at 9:51 pm

    I loved your analogy of and testament to being married to a beige wall.

    Reply
  3. Lauren Sparks says

    February 12, 2018 at 11:11 pm

    My pleasure to visit you! And thanks for returning the favor.

    Reply
  4. Lauren Sparks says

    February 12, 2018 at 11:11 pm

    God has been very merciful to me. Thank you for visiting.

    Reply
  5. Amber Taube says

    February 13, 2018 at 12:54 pm

    Oh my! I love this! My husband is also a beige wall but an admirable man of integrity.

    Reply
  6. Lauren Sparks says

    February 13, 2018 at 2:09 pm

    Aren't we the lucky ones, Amber! Thank you for visiting!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Let’s Connect

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

About Me

I love Jesus, my husband and caffeine. The order of these can change depending on how tired I am. When my two daughters, stepson, and 4 grandchildren get to be too much, I practice yoga. God graciously allows me to share our adventures, victories and flub-ups from my laptop. May He be glorified here.
Read More

Subscribe for Updates

Enter your information below to receive the latest updates from the blog!

Recent Posts

  • I’ve Got Tears in My Ears (and Other Funny Titles)
  • Verse Mapping Joy!
  • Grace Upon Grace
  • First Friday Prayers: Prayer for the Caregiver
  • The Grand Finale of February

Find Devotionals By Me in These Books and Click on Image for Order Information!

A 25-Week Bible Study with Topics from Abide to Zeal
A 26 week journey to a better prayer life.
30 devotionals for faith that moves mountains

For Sharing

Lauren Sparks

Like Podcasts? I’m on This One

…and This One! click to listen.

Click below to get a free trial of my favorite technology monitoring platform

Need More Than Just Monitoring? Find Filters and Accountability Here

Search This Site

Categories

Archives

Copyright © 2023 Lauren Sparks | Design by Traci Michele | Development by MRM

Stop!  Don't Miss Out!

I have a brand new e-book.  This was Not On My Bingo Card:  Essays on Cancer and Related Surprises is available to you FREE by simply subscribing to my blog!  

Invalid email address
I promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thanks for subscribing!