Warm Feet

I’m a bit cold-blooded (as in cold feet and hands).  My husband bears the brunt of this issue when I get into bed.  Usually, I’m able to spare him between my heated mattress and electric blanket, but tonight, they were hurting with cold.  He makes for an even greater target in my mind due to the stories his mother tells about his “five degree increase” in temperature while he slept as a baby.

Unsuspecting, my husband slept peacefully beside me, when I wormed my freezing foot over to touch his - blissful warmth!  I gaged his reaction carefully… he didn’t stir.  I wormed a little more of my foot’s surface area to touch more of his… still no reaction, and I could feel the warmth easing my foot muscles.  I soaked it in, stealing away his warmth for a bit, yet this was not helping my other foot.  I slipped another tentative toe toward his other foot, and soon began stealing his warmth at twice the speed.

He stirred twice.  That was all.  I asked him the next morning if he had woken or remembered.  Nope.  Score!  I thank the Lord for husband’s warm feet and unconcerned attitude.  When the cold strikes, my husband is there.

Morning Embraces

The alarm goes off in the morning, and I touch my iPhone screen to snooze it.  I roll over and see my sweetheart in bed with me.  I cuddle up next to his warmth, and he wraps his arm around me in turn.  I love starting the day with his morning embraces.

When I hug him in bed, I often have this image of God looking down from heaven in my mind.  Our love of one another pleases Him, and I lift it up to Him in worship, and try to wrap my mind around His involvement in that relationship.  Just as God is three in one, He is the third person in our marriage - and a very necessary person at that.

I am thankful for morning embraces, for the Lord’s reminder of His presence, and for the love I feel for and from both my Savior and my sweetheart.  May the Lord help me be mindful of that love and presence throughout the day.

Coming Home to Him

One thing I rather enjoy is coming home to my sweetie.  It isn’t some special affair, where I’m welcomed with aplomb.  It is simply nice to know that he’s there waiting for me, and to see his face and give him a hug and a kiss when I get home.  (It’s nice to see my little man’s, too!)

If it has been a long day at work, and I’m tired and, perhaps, a bit bedraggled or the worse for wear, I find myself looking forward to seeing him.  Coming home to him is one of the simple things in life that I treasure.  I am thankful that God made that, too, a part of marriage.  I think it is a pale - yet apparent - reflection of how God is always there for us.  He just takes it the next step as only He can do, in that He is always with us, not just there to return to.

Listen with Me

We enjoy listening to audiobooks, and are in the middle of a large series.  It was nearly bedtime, but I still had my physical therapy exercises to do, so I stayed up to do them.  My husband decided to stay up with me and turned on our audiobook to listen with me as I did my exercises.

I really love it when he does things like that.  He is not a night person, so staying up later is a definite act of love, and I know it.  It was a great way to minister to me by keeping me company as I exercised, and also doing something together that we enjoy.  I am thankful for God’s love through my husband by him listening with me.  Perhaps I can think of a way to minister to him in the morning, when it takes extra effort for this night person to be awake!

Space

My husband worked this weekend to put the face frame together for our Pantry Project as I watched our little man.  Things were going well until after lunch, when he brought the frame in to see how it looked on the pantry.  My poor sweetheart had put the frame together backwards.  

Aside from using screws, he had also wood glued it, and let it dry during lunch.  There was nothing for it but to try taking it apart to see if it would actually come apart.  It didn’t.  There was one piece that had to come off, so we took it off, and the wood splintered.  All told, it was about $100 worth of wood.  My husband was a bit upset.

I was able to offer my help, but I was also thankful for the wisdom to allow him some space.  He wasn’t throwing things, or yelling, but there were several frustrated words and sounds.  I probably would have done the same, but I also knew that it wasn’t the most godly of attitudes.  I didn’t say much - just let him know I was there to support him - and let him figure it out with God.

Space was what he needed, and I am thankful that I was able to provide it.  He continued working on the project, and I’m sure he spoke with God.  He determined that, while the pantry wouldn’t look as nice as it would have, the wood would have to do.  He was able to make peace with that and be content.  I am thankful for the Lord’s work in my husband’s life, and that it certainly isn’t reliant upon me.

Weekly Impressions - I Just Wish...

I just wish… I just want… if only… these seem to be my greatest adversaries at the moment.  The thought is not sinful in and of itself, but to dwell in a place of wishes, wants, and ifs can be.  It is the trickiest of the paths that lead me to the pit of depression.

I just wish that the trim and finishing touches were all complete on my house.  I just want to spend more time with my husband.  If only I lived closer to town.  These subjects are probably my three most dangerous areas of thought right now.

I am thankful that God has brought me to recognize when I begin to look down into that pit, rather than once I am in its depths.  However, even when looking down into it, I can find it difficult to turn away.  It is, of course, all about my focus.

It is fun to dream and to think of what one could or would do with this or that.  Too much focus on that, however, begins to pull God off of the throne of my heart.  The more I wish it, the less I wish to remain under God’s sovereign will, and the less trust I place in His sovereign will.  The more I wish it, the more I begin to say, “I know better than God,” and even “Either God isn’t sovereign, or He doesn’t know best.”

Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

God really does know best.  He has a personal relationship with each of His children and works all things for the good of His children according to His purpose:  to make us more like Christ (Romans 8:28-30).  That may mean pain… change often does.

Pain itself is not a bad thing.

I can’t stress that enough.  It seems that pain - whether emotional or physical - is what our society fears the most, and yet, pain is often the very thing that God uses to conform us to the image of His Son.  Pain is nothing more than God’s tool.  I don’t have to fear it - “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)

When I wish for something, I must also remember that God is in control.  I can “…make my request known to God.” (Philippians 4:6)  He is the One who saved me from Death, and He is the One who gives me joy in this life.  He has forgiven me all my transgressions, and “…there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)  None.

I respect Him, I fear Him, I love Him, and He loves me enough to make me more like His Son.  He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and everywhere; I have nothing else to fear in the midst of His perfect love (1 John 4:18).

Project Helpers

My husband’s uncle and grandpa came over today to help my husband with our Pantry Project!  They got A LOT done, and it’s nearly finished.  There still might be a chance that we’ll be able to finish it before my husband starts school.  We’ll see what the Lord does.

It wasn’t just nice to have the help, it was nice to have the encouragement and sense of humor around, too.  Not to mention the experience and extra brains to figure out ways past obstacles... like the belt coming off of the table saw, and the blade not staying straight.  I’m not sure about you, but I do find it easier to keep a good attitude when I have other people with me (usually).

I am thankful for project helpers, and how God used them not only to give us a major push toward completion, but to enjoy their company.  I thank the Lord for family and friends, and His ministry through them.