My Two Wives: A Love Story

By Erwin Spruth

This is a story that illustrates the wonder, richness and incredible wealth that is the fruit of a Christ centered and Christ blessed marriage. A story about the goodness of God lavished on one man in two successive marriages with two intelligent, capable, beautiful, and yes sexy, wives who loved him more than can ever be fully told. A story which proves that you are never too old to love richly and completely; that evidences the goodness of God in the land of the living (Psalm 27), illustrating the principals for experiencing that goodness in your own marriage. The Rev. Rick Mensing writes: 'Pastor Erwin (Ob) Spruth illustrates... in his book the depth of his understanding of God's love in Jesus Christ, the real life adventure and wonder of living in response to this love. The challenges and fulfillment of living out this kind of love in a marriage relationship, is sure to infiltrate the soul heart and mind of the reader.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 6, 2019
• ISBN: 9781643009728

Book preview

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My Two Wives

A Love Story

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By

Erwin L. Spruth

March 15, 2018

ISBN 978-1-64300-971-1 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64300-972-8 (Digital)

Copyright © 2019 Erwin L. Spruth

All rights reserved

First Edition

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scriptural quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scriptural quotations marked NIV are taken from the HOLY BIBLE NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION Copyright © 1973,1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Scriptural quotations marked MsgB are taken from THE MESSAGE Copyright © 1993, 1994,1995,1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 Used by permission of NavPres Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Covenant Books, Inc.

11661 Hwy 707

Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

www.covenantbooks.com

Acknowledgments

I am the Alpha and the Omega — the beginning and the end, says the Lord God. (Revelation 1:8a)

Before acknowledging anyone else, I want to state clearly and up front that this story could not have been told without the working of the Lord in my life and the lives of Lorraine and Joyce. That having been said, I also want to lift up both these blessed women and the love they showed me, which was total and marvelous, along with the fact that we actually wrote to each other, leaving a wonderful record of our love, which I have been able to read through again and again.

I want to thank my son, Erwin A, who encouraged me and kept on reading through the story as I wrote it. To Carolyn Walter, who was the first one outside my family to read through the draft and made valuable suggestions; to my step-daughter The Rev. Dr. Julie K Higgs who brought things to my attention where I had made a wrong turn; to Janet Mensing, who, as a professional proofreader, went through the manuscript, making many corrections; to our pastor, the Rev. Rick Mensing for his encouragement and the kind Forward he wrote to this love story.

I give all praise and honor to God for walking with me all through the wonders of my life and who blessed me with the ability to tell the story in which He has always been the chief actor.

All glory to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, forever. Amen. (Romans 16:27)

Foreword

Love, so misunderstood and filled with turmoil for many in our world today, and yet, so wonderfully fabulous when embraced and lived out following God’s definition and plan.

Pastor Erwin Spruth is absolutely clear, God’s love is most fully demonstrated through His Son Jesus Christ. But there are consequences! As a person is embraced in Christ’s love, when one embraces in their inner being Christ’s understanding of love and then lives it as Christ first did for them, then a true love story results within the relationships of their lives.

Pastor Erwin (Ob) Spruth illustrates all of it in his book, My Two Wives. The depth of his understanding of God’s love in Jesus Christ, the real life adventure and wonder of living in response to this love, the challenges and fulfillment of living out this kind of love in a marriage relationship, is sure to infiltrate the soul, heart and mind of the reader. Also, one cannot help but desire to be wrapped up in the love of Christ through Pastor Spruth’s words and experiences. The result of such a love filling the soul of the reader is that the reader desires such a deep and abiding love in their own marriage as illustrated through Pastor Spruth’s.

You will be blessed and challenged through the from-the-heart, practical, wise, theologically astute, and filled-with-love life experiences put into words by Pastor Ob. I pray the reading of this love story challenges you, motivates you and makes a difference in the love expressions of your life.

Abiding in Christ’s love,

Pastor Rick Mensing

Pastor, Faith Lutheran Church.

Security, Colorado

Author’s Foreword

The story that follows is autobiographical. While dealing with the loss of my second wife was a factor, the primary motivation for sharing my story was to document and acknowledge the incredible blessings that our loving God has poured out on me. At the same time, I pray that if anyone else ever gets to read it, my story will show the wonders and joy of a marriage that is lived out with God’s blessings and uses God’s directions in its relationships. To that end, I call your attention to the Biblical book, Ephesians chapter 5 verses 21-33

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no-one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. (NIV)

Sadly, this Word of God is often misunderstood and twisted by both men and women. The following is a translation of the same Scripture passage that is useful in helping us to better understand what is actually being taught in this Word of God.

Out of respect for Christ, be courteously reverent to one another. Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewise submit to their husbands. Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ’s love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness.

And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They’re really doing themselves a favor—since they’re already one in marriage. No one abuses his own body, does he? No, he feeds and pampers it. That’s how Christ treats us, the church, since we are part of his body. And this is why a man leaves father and mother and cherishes his wife. No longer two, they become one flesh. This is a huge mystery, and I don’t pretend to understand it all. What is clearest to me is the way Christ treats the church. And this provides a good picture of how each husband is to treat his wife, loving himself in loving her, and how each wife is to honor her husband. (MsgB)

It is very unfortunate that many, even in the church, misread these directions putting a burden on wives, especially those with dominating husbands. In our culture we have a very hard time with the word submit anyway and with the advent of the feminine revolution submission has become something that is almost rejected out of hand. This is unfortunate, because submission correctly understood is critical for a good, lasting and truly loving marriage, as this story will testify.

The Greek word that has been translated most often as submit is a Greek military term meaning to arrange in a military fashion under the command of a leader. In non-military use, it was a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden. Paul’s use of this word, hupotasso in this section of Ephesians, where he has been urging believers to live lives that are directed by the Holy Spirit and to Imitate God… in everything you do, certainly points to the willingness to have the attitude of giving to the other because of Christ. Having this attitude towards one another in marriage leads to harmony and caring for one another as an act of love rather than as a burden.

For me, as a man, I also understand that this Word from God places a great deal of responsibility on me. As a husband, I am called upon to love my wife just as Christ loved the church. And here the Scriptures do not use the Greek word for love that most Americans think love is, that is eros love, the romantic love between men and women. Rather the word used here is agape love, that love which is self-giving and does not depend on any sort of reciprocity. It is the love God has for all of us that was shown so marvelously in Jesus giving himself even to death on the cross to free us from our sin. It is the word used in that