Responsible Manhood
My Husband: A Determined Guardian – Tribute
By Jennifer McBride
Feb 12, 2009 - 3:21:02 PM

Among the many blessings the Lord has given me, I count the gift of my husband to be second only to the great gift of my salvation.

His full name is Stephen William McBride. He was named William after his godly grandfather and the meaning of that name,”Determined Guardian,” is a fitting description of my husband's character.

From my very early acquaintance with my Steve, he struck me as man who was hungry to study God's Word, to learn His ways and to follow and defend them--even if it was hard and even if it meant he stood alone. Eleven years later, my first impressions have been proven true far beyond what I could have imagined, and he is truly living up to the meaning of his name.

When we were first married, we asked the Lord to guide us, to lead us and to help us raise a godly family for Him. We had seen many families lose their children - even Christian homeschooling families - and we desperately did not want our own family to become another statistic. That early prayer has led us on quite the journey as the Lord has faithfully answered (many times in ways that have surprised us) and has drawn us closer to each other and to Himself.

In almost nine years of marriage we have been blessed with six precious children, ages 8 years - 9 months. We have faced many ups and down, trials and joys, and through it all, my admiration, respect, and love for my Steve grows deeper all the time. I can never thank God enough for him, and I am humbled that the Lord would bless me with such a man.

My husband loves the Lord and the things of God and has a burning desire to know His ways and to walk in them. He is determined, but teachable, with a hunger to search out the Word of God on all things and to make every decision in the light of Scripture.

Next to the Lord, he loves us, his family, with all his heart. Our children are his joy and delight. He welcomes each new baby with a thankful heart and open arms. He will often sit, just beam at them all and say to me, with tears in his eyes, “Look what we have. Look how rich we are.”

He praises, compliments, and encourages our little daughters, and upholds for them the beauty of Biblical womanhood and femininity. He gives them such loving security and affection, truly cherishing them. He loves to turn on some music, pick one of them up, and start dancing. He tears up at the thought of walking them down the aisle on some far off, yet too soon, day. Each of our girls is truly made to feel like a princess and “Daddy's Girl.”

As we seek to raise our children as warriors for Christ, we have given our sons names with meanings on this theme. Our firstborn son, Willie, carries his daddy's name. Our second son is Samuel Alexander, a “Defender of Mankind” who was “Asked of God.” Our baby is Gideon Truth, “Mighty Warrior of Truth.” In their father, our sons have a wonderful example of what it truly means to be a soldier for the King. They are learning that working and fighting for the Lord is not always exciting and adventurous, but that in the daily life of faithfulness, perseverance, and loving self-sacrifice--in the little things--there is great power, nobility, and blessing.

As Steve's wife, I am blessed beyond measure. He loves me and tells me so many times every day. He lets the children know how much he loves me, too, praising and upholding me to them, even when I don't deserve it. The way Steve treats me is a beautiful example to our boys of how they should treat their future wives and to our girls in what to pray for in their future husbands.

His love for me, and the way he shows it not only gives me great security, but it gives the children security as well. Several years ago, Steve came up, put his arm around me and gave me a hug. The children were watching from the dinner table and I will never forget the beaming, restful glow of my little boy's face as he said “I LOVE you Mommy and Daddy” The adage is true : “The greatest gift a man can give his children is to love their mother.” We have daily proof of this in our home.

Steve is patient and uncomplaining (when dinner is late yet again), yet is quick to notice and praise me if the house looks especially tidy or I have made a special meal. He thanks me for ironing his clothes. He tells me I am beautiful every day. He upholds me in my role as wife, mother, and keeper at home.

The past several years have we have been walking through some deep trials, including my struggle with a chronic illness that has, at times, had me flat on my back. This has been very hard on our whole family. Through it all, though, Steve has been my rock. When I fall into despair and begin to wonder if things will ever get better, he is the one to hold me up, to encourage me, to remind me of God's promises and to direct my focus back to our faithful Lord.

Although leadership does not come naturally to his personality, he is very aware of his role and responsibility and is the loving head of our home. He is firm, but kind.

He is a faithful son and brother, not only to his own family, but to mine as well. He is an affectionate uncle to his nieces and nephews.

He can be very serious, but is known for his quick wit and sense of humor. He has the most logical mind of anyone I have ever met. He is brilliant and clever. He works faithfully at a job that does not thrill him, but where he is respected as a hard worker and known as a family man. (Even though people think he is a bit crazy for having six children!)

He is tender enough to choke up while reading The Long Winter aloud to us, but strong enough to stand calmly and firmly on the Scriptures even when it has meant mockery and shunning from others.

He rarely takes a moment for himself. After a long day at work and time with the family in the evening, if he is able to spare a minute he is usually teaching himself computer programming, building a website, or working towards his goal of one day having a family business. He has a vision for our family and future generations. Even when it feels like we are just spinning our wheels and can't seem to move forward, he keeps faithfully putting one foot in front of the other.

My husband does all this, and is all this, while living in almost constant pain. He suffers from Migraine, often misunderstood as just a headache; but in reality a neurological disease that is, at worst, debilitating and agonizing and, at best, a dull, dizzy roar affecting hearing, eyesight, clear thinking, and more.

Many, many days he gets up and goes to work in a fog of pain and comes home to a noisy, busy house and an exhausted wife where, instead of laying down to rest his aching head, he talks to me, cares for our children and puts them to bed every night.

It makes my heart ache to see him struggling to live a normal life while in such pain, yet he does not have a complaining spirit. To my shame, there are times when I have given in to discouragement while he was down with a headache and he, through his pain, has been the one to encourage me.

He fights through the headaches valiantly, but many times the pain is such that he can't lift his head off the pillow. As soon as he is able though he is up again, even if he can barely stand, trying to faithfully fulfill his role.

He truly does quietly live up to the meaning of his second name, “Determined Guardian,” as he perseveres through day-to-day life, trial, and pain to honor, uphold, and defend the Word of God and to protect, guide, and guard his family. His first name means “Crowned One,” and this, too, is a fitting description of him. He is the king of our castle, my hero, my knight in shining armor, and, as I tell him not often enough, a true man among men.

  Jennifer McBride is the blessed wife to Steve and the mother of 6 children, ages 8- 9 months. She and her husband operate www.old-paths.com and www.noblewomanhood.com   websites dedicated to encouraging a return to the "old paths" of Scripture and the Biblical pattern for raising a godly family.