Genesis 29:31

When morning came, there was Leah!

I want to tread carefully here, because Leah is one of my favorite Bible characters (which I'll get into in a later post).  The focus of this post is not Leah personally - it is Jacob's surprise to find he was not with the woman he thought he had married.

Jacob had fallen in love with Rachel.  For seven years he had worked to win her hand in marriage, and finally the day had come.  He would at last be united with his beloved.  And so the wedding ceremony commenced, and his bride, heavily veiled, was presented to him.  Later, in the darkness of their tent, they enjoyed their wedding night.  But as the sun rose, he realized that his bride was not his true love, Rachel, but her less attractive older sister, Leah.

Anybody who has been married for awhile can attest to the "there was Leah!" moment.  She marries Mr. Right, he marries Miss Perfect, and all goes well until...he wants to watch football instead of going to her mother's house for lunch...she can't make anything more complicated than Ragu...he puts on a few extra pounds...she's too tired for sex, again...whatever it is, we've all been there.  We go to bed with Rachel and wake up with Leah (or we go to bed as Rachel and wake up as Leah).  The honeymoon is over.

So now what?  Well, for some couples, the marriage may as well be over.  "I didn't sign up for this!"  Guess what?  We did.  Remember for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health?  Here's where the rubber meets the road. 

What does a wife do when her knight's shining armor gets a bit tarnished?  She remembers her own imperfections.  She remembers she chose to love him no matter what.  She remembers that what God has joined together, He will help remain joined together.  And she leans on God to help her honor her vows.

What does a wife do when she's no longer the princess her husband married?  She makes a little bit more effort.  She spends a little extra time on her hair in the morning.  She makes his favorite dessert.  She surprises him with a new negligee while the kids are at Grandma's.  Don't give up when you hit your "there was Leah!" moment.  Be intentional about being the woman with whom your husband fell in love.