Compassion

My husband and I have been pretty exhausted over the past few days.  It showed in both of us as we woke up last morning and both made it evident to the other that we were tired and did not want to do anything.  We then discovered that the pipes had frozen the night before, and didn’t have any real way of checking that they hadn’t burst before we had to go to work and school.  As the day wore on, I really struggled with my exhaustion, not only in the short-term, but the long-term.

As my husband goes to school, I have been the main source of income.  It has been a year-and-a-half and he only has a month to finish this semester, and then has just one more semester to get his A.A.  I, however, am feeling the pressure of being a working mom with a blog, a book, a dirty home that’s about a half hour from anywhere or anyone, quiet times to prioritize, and knitting projects for Christmas gifts (since we can’t afford to purchase gifts otherwise).  This is certainly not to say that my husband isn’t doing anything - he has been working on our home in his spare time and takes care of our son between school and homework (no easy feat, with a busy two-year-old).  I’m just feeling the pressure, which does nothing for my weariness.

My husband texted me at work today to let me know that he was home putting insulation on the pipes.  He also said that he was considering staying home to get some chores done, and would I like to pick up our son from “Nani’s” after work and go straight home to have hamburgers for dinner and spend a bit of time together.  This did so much to minister to my heart that was focusing on myself instead of my amazing sovereign God.  

My husband was weary, too, and here he had gone home, done some of my chores, cleaned up a bit, and made me dinner - not to mention the opportunity to spend time with him!  The sheer compassion in my husband’s turn-around from that morning shot straight to my heart, and I felt so blessed!  My husband couldn’t have done this without the power of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit also worked in me to remind me of Himself.  I thank the Lord for the compassion He stirred in my husband, and for the reminder of who He is, and of how I can look to Him and live in His joy amidst my trials.

Has your own focus strayed lately?