August 2026 On the Side: Teamwork
Photo by Durmus Kavcioglu via UnSplash
by Dawn Mast
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
Proverbs 27:17
Several months ago, my husband and I attended the CMDA National Convention where I had the pleasure of speaking to the Side By Side track. I shared personal reflections of how Mark and I are a team even when there are days when it feels like we are existing in completely different worlds. One concept I shared was about creating the kind of home environment where when the other person walks in the door at the end of a hard day, it feels like an exhale. When your husband is a doctor, he will get pushed and pulled in all directions both mentally and physically. Sometimes there’s not a lot left of him for you and your family. Creating a team approach and a home environment where he hits the door and is able to exhale can be such a gift.
In a medical marriage it can be easy to do your thing while he does his, and there is very little overlap. We can easily find ourselves pulling away and building time apart in the busyness of life and leaving our beloved out of the picture. We can have separate interests and hobbies, but as husband and wife we truly do need to rely on and encourage each other.
There is a sweet tenderness when we read about Priscilla and Aquila. First of all, they were tentmakers.
Together.
She was his companion and obviously he wanted her there. In every mention of Aquila in the Bible, her name, Priscilla, comes right after. Sometimes before (Romans 16:3-4). They are always mentioned together.
I'm encouraged by this model of support and teamwork especially when it comes to navigating a medical career and our marriage. Just last week we had…words with each other. And tears. And I may have thrown a box of gluten free crackers. We were most certainly not at our best. It came down to the fact that we were both exhausted, worn out and stretched thin. Mark works in a town 1.5 hours from our home and I was in the process of getting my newly married Dad moved out of his house. Mark and I were both feeling that we were bringing only leftovers to our relationship, and we’d lost that team mentality.
Although we don't pitch tents, let alone make them like Aquila and Priscilla, their example of persistence and collaboration helps to strengthen me on days when I feel I need some extra motivation to stay in the game. Having a team mentality helps when we feel alone and focusing on the lie that the other person is just bringing the worst version of themselves to the marriage – the leftover pieces. The healing for us came when Mark quietly sat with me and whispered, “Can we pray together?” My heart, although still angry and stubborn, was softened. Hot tears flowed as he took our relationship before the Lord and asked for forgiveness, peace and healing. He took our team to the throne of grace and mercy and it was what we needed.
Being a servant of God is sometimes not easy. However, being a servant with someone you love is a tender, growing time if you are willing to work together. It’s the mundane and the marvelous parts of life that help solidify our relationship. We may not work together outside the home, but creating a home environment of support and encouragement truly is like an exhale to your beloved.
Ask the Lord to show you how to be a servant to your husband. Remember to thank Him for His faithfulness when He reveals His plan to you and when you see that your husband feels loved because you have reached out to him in service.
Gracious Lord, thank you for giving us to each other. On the fun, easy days help us to not take those for granted, but to enjoy those moments. And on the hard days, please help us to work together in love and support for each other. Thank you that we get to walk through this life together. Amen
Dawn Mast is a speaker and writer for Encouragement Cafè Ministries who brings reassurance, scripture application, and delightful humor to those married to medical professionals. She and her physician husband have four adult children, a daughter-in-law, one grandson, and two dogs, and live in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
