Tuesday, March 30th, 2010
A love letter from my husband
On Sunday, the last half of my husband’s sermon was the announcement to our people that he has asked for a sabbatical and the elders have graciously granted it.
In that sermon and in the letter that followed, he explained the reasons.
He loved me by acknowledging our need for concentrated time “for a serious assessment—a kind of reality check in the light of God’s word. Am I living in the mindset and the pattern of life that Jesus calls for here in Mark 8:31-38, especially in relation to those I love most?”
And I hope you noticed that he spoke and wrote as if all the need for this time away lay in his own shortcomings. I hope you are wise enough to know that things are never that simple. He loved me by covering for me–by being my protector. We’re in this together.
That was a love letter to me that you get to read too.
I pray with him that God might make these eight months the best Bethlehem and we have ever known.
43 Responses to “A love letter from my husband”
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I will be praying for both of you! God bless you both for your fabulous example and courage!
I pray you will both return in January 2011 refreshed and reentergized! God bless you!
You are both loved much…May this time together bring much joy to the both of you.
It’s wonderful for you both. And it was so precious that you and John have let us “blog-readers” into your lives just a little. I am sure that our Father will give you much joy in this 8 months together.
Thank you for sharing that. Though it was brief and simple, it almost brought tears to my eyes. I look up to both you and your husband, and thank God for the grace he’s given you.
Your husband is inspiring me to better love my wife.
this made me cry. my admiration and gratitude for you both grows as you continue to pull back the curtain to let us in. Praise God for his grace!
Thank you for your transparancy with dignity. We are so blessed by both you and your husband’s ministry to us. Praying for a wonderfully fruitful time!
My eyes filled up with tears as I read the letter he wrote. I admire you both greatly and commit to pray for you often. Thank you for opening the blinds and letting us peek in.
Praying daily for you and John.
Precious words from both of you. May we all be loved as much as he loves you and you love him.
Thanks for sharing, Mrs. Piper. We are praying for you both, and are thankful for your ministry. Your husband’s preaching was my seminary.
Being a PK myself, I read the Christ-like love of a husband for his wife between every word of that letter. How beautiful that John recognizes the sometimes subtle voice of the Holy Spirit to tend to his First Ministry. (And how beautiful that the elders at Bethlehem encourage you both to listen to that voice.)
May God bless your time together. May He enrich your hearts and knit your souls together in a fresh way. He makes all things new.
Your decision has caused my wife and I to re-evaluate our 32 years together. Thank you both for impacting our lives over all these years.
If I have learned one thing in almost 27 years of marriage, there are two people, therefore, there are two sinners. Lovely that you offer grace to one another. SDG!!
I didn’t think I could cry any more over this ‘event’ but I did after reading your blog. You are so loved, respected, prayed for and will be missed beyond words. “May the Lord bless you and keep you . . .”
It was a beautiful letter he posted and I will be praying for both of you.
What an inspiration he is to younger people in the ministry.
May this reminder sustain and encourage you both:
You are loved by God and He will only ever do you good.
Praying.
You are such a wonderful example for women and I always look forward to reading your work and blog. I will be praying for your whole family. Eight months is more than enough time for God to do incredible things in relationships!
And may this be the best 8 months of the Piper marriage. I am truly excited to see what God will do when John returns after 8 months of a true sabbath and seeking the Lord. What an inspiration.
Noel,
I want to remind you that there are many thousands of people all over the world whose respect for both you and your husband has only increased as a result of all this. You have our prayers and our love.
Not one mere human being is a real hero we can follow pefectly. As you, of course, know, you, John, and every Christian simply points to the One who covers all our weaknesses with his grace. The truth is that the one who has the cattle on a thousand hills does not need our service as though we could do anything for him!
Here in the Warnock household like I am sure many others I sat and watched your husband talk together with my wife. I can tell you it led to a much needed, honest, and precious conversation.
May much sweetness be found in your household. And may God use this to help many many others the world over.
Thank you for your open heart!
I can’t tell you the encouragement your vulnerability and putting God’s will and direction for your family above all else is at this time. It is so refreshing to hear the lack of blame on both of your parts and your desire to be obedient to God’s Word. We’ve been married for 46 years and sometimes I get discouraged that we slip back into sinful responses – when we know better and wonder will I ever get it right…..I realize my lack of hope is sin in itself and I want to just depend on God to be a Godly wife.
http://gracegems.org/05/09/applause.html a sermon you might find helpful
A minister’s confession
(A Puritan Prayer)
O God,
I know that I often do Your work without
Your power, and sin by . . .
my dead, heartless, blind service,
my lack of inward light, love, delight,
my mind, heart, tongue moving without Your help.
I see my sinful heart in seeking the praise of others.
This is my vileness–to seek my own glory. It is my
deceit to preach and pray–in order to generate
admiration; whereas I should consider myself
more vile than any man in my own eyes.
Help me to rejoice in my infirmities and to
acknowledge my deficiencies before others.
Keep me from high thoughts of myself or my work,
for I am nothing but sin and weakness. In me no
good dwells, and my best works are tainted with
sin. Humble me to the dust before You. Root and
tear out the poisonous weed of pride, and show
me my utter nothingness. Keep me sensible of
my sinnership. Sink me deeper into penitence
and self-abhorrence.
Break the ‘Dagon’ of pride in pieces before
the ark of Your presence!
Demolish the ‘Babel’ of self-importance
and scatter it to the wind!
Level to the ground my ‘Jericho walls’
of a haughty, rebel heart!
Then grace, free grace, will be my experience and
message. This is my ministry, my life, my prayer,
my end. Grant me grace that I shall not fail
Noel and John,
The courage you both are showing right now to do what you know is right in spite of what others may think or what convential wisdom (even our Christian sub-cuture’s CW) is absolutely inspiring. Carole and I love you both, and are enjoying being around Molly and Abraham, as well as their incredibly growing family.
My encouaragement to both of you is simply this: Enjoy.
Enjoy Jesus, His word, your marriage, your children, a great meal, a walk together, and the slower pace that this time will afford you. We’re praying for you. — Steve and Carole Treichler
John and I are standing with you. God is good, all the time.
There will be refreshment at the well. We love you both so much.
I am so thankful for such love that is demonstrated in your relationship. I pray that
The Father will richly bless this time for you both and for your family. We love you.
I am thankful for your witness and I believe it speaks volumes for God’s glory < I love you both and pray for you all the time because of CHRIST JESUS our Lord !
I will continue to stand with you both in prayer. I am trusting that God will supply every need of yours and will make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you both may abound in every good work.
Much love to you, Pastor John & Noel.
How beautiful to see a desire to turn toward each other and take an honest look at what God has put for you there. You two are brave becaus this type of intimacy is surely a tool the Lord uses to refine us and make us more like Jesus. I think of your new office and how you attended to it though there was some stuff that was hard to look at and release. God did wonderful things for you not only in the end result bit in the process. May you and your husband find treasures to enjoy in each other and be able to let go of anything the Lord asks of you. You are in great hands!
How beautiful to see a desire to turn toward each other and take an honest look at what God has put for you there. You two are brave because this type of intimacy is surely a tool the Lord uses to refine us and make us more like Jesus. I think of your new office and how you attended to it though there was some stuff that was hard to look at and release. God did wonderful things for you not only in the end result but in the process. May you and your husband find treasures to enjoy in each other and be able to let go of anything the Lord asks of you. You are in great hands!
Noel…Thank you for your sweet addition to your husband’s sermon…I wanted to share this on my Facebook, but the share “button” below your post is not working! Love, Susan
Hello Noel, just found your site a month or so ago. I’ve been listening online to your husband for about a year. I wrote a very long reply then deleted it and feel a shorter one is better. Just want to say that pride and the need for “public productivity” is not just a famous persons problem. After prayer this morning and your husbands sermon now I know what I’ve been dealing with thank you for both being so open. God bless you and yours and Happy Easter, eternally greatful, that Jesus has risen and is a life today!
[...] most of you probably know, John Piper is taking a sabbatical from virtually all of his ministry obligations between now and the end of the [...]
One thing my husband and I have always understood is that ministry must always flow out of the health and strength of a marriage, and there are trials and seasons of change He sends for our growth and holiness.
Your husband sets an example to the flock by making his first ministry of first importance– the LORD God and his “Eve.”
May you both be strengthened, upheld and changed by His love and faithfulness in this season.
Lord bless you both. Are you considering a social media fast too? Beware the Twitter. In my experience, it can run as a background program in your marriage, like hootsuite on your computer!
Praying for your family.
Dear Noel and Pastor John,
Thanks for both your examples of God’s grace and for being vulnerable and honest with all of us. Your husband has been a “hero” of the faith to me and I am so thankful for how God has used John to impact my own life. Know that you both are and will be in our prayers as you take this time to grow together. May God give you blessed time away together for you both to treasure Him together. In this it has caused me to evaluate where I am at with family and trust that God will use this to shape and sharpen all of us in our ministry together. You are loved and appreciated so much. Blessings.
Pastor Dave
[...] the first day of the leave of absence that my husband has spoken and written about. I told you how much this means to me.Wise friends suggested that I should take a sabbatical from blogging and tweeting, just as he [...]
This is a prime example for husbands, wives, and pastoring families everywhere. I will never be able to express how much God has used your family in my family’s life.
your family seems so beautiful…. I am only 26 and single but I when I hear John piper speak about the bible and how he so wants to love u like that it brings me to tears !!! May God Bless your entire family