A Letter to My Husband Series

When Leah held her sixth son and named him Zebulun, meaning “honor” or “dwelling,” she expressed a longing that lives in every wife’s heart: “Now my husband will honor me.” After years of feeling secondary, competing for attention, and wondering about her place in Jacob’s heart, she hoped that surely now he would treat her with the honor she deserved as his first wife.

When Leah named her fifth son Issachar, meaning “reward” or “wages,” she spoke of receiving recognition for her contributions. After years of giving – her body, her servant, her heart, her sacrifices – she finally felt that God had acknowledged her efforts. My beloved, I write to you from a similar place in my heart. I need you to see and value the countless ways I pour myself into our marriage, our family, and our life together.

Something beautiful shifted in Leah’s heart when she held her fourth son. After years of seeking Jacob’s love and approval through her children, she suddenly declared, “This time I will praise the Lord” and named him Judah, meaning “praise.” In that moment, she found her worth not in her husband’s response, but in God’s unchanging love for her.

With trembling hands and a hopeful heart, I write to you about something so precious, so vital to my soul. When Leah named her third son Levi, meaning “attached” or “joined,” she spoke words that echo in every wife’s heart: “Now this time my husband will be attached to me.” My beloved, I long for this same deep attachment – not just physical presence, but true heart connection, true intimacy of souls.

As I pour my heart, I am reminded of Leah’s cry when she named her second son Simeon, meaning “heard.” In her pain, she declared that the Lord had heard her – that Someone was listening to the ache in her soul. My beloved, while I know you love me, there’s a longing in my heart that echoes Leah’s – I need you to hear me truly.

When Leah held baby Reuben, she believed that surely now Jacob would notice her, would see her worth, would love her fully. Her heart cry echoes in mine: “Look upon me, beloved. See me as I truly am.”