Okay God I get it

The last 2 days God has definitely been letting me know (in his usual humorous ways) that since I asked him to be in control, I need to let him. Last night it was a book mark. I have this magnetic bookmark that i use in my daily reading Bible that has a frog on it. I like it because I read a story once of a person who pointed out that F.R.O.G. stood for Fully Rely On God, something I need to remember more often. Anyway last night I was closing up my Bible and reached for my bookmark. It wasn't there. So I started searching, all over my bed, in the covers, in the kitchen, living room bathroom, and both computer desks. I could not find it anywhere. So I decided to just go to sleep and look again in the morning. I lay back on my pillows and looked up. There on the air conditioning register in the ceiling, was my frog book mark. My son admitted this morning that he put it up there just playing around because it would stick. Leave it to the home-schooled kid.

This morning I was praying about the difficulty my husband and I have been having during this deployment feeling like we are connected. I told God "I give it to you because I can't figure out what to do." I called my husband to just apologize for handing the phone off yesterday. He had called to talk to me, I thought he had called to talk to our oldest who is struggling with a breakup. I didn't want him to feel like I was avoiding him. Anyway, when I called he answered, said he said he had gone to bed early because he had a big run in the morning. Now to the rational part of my brain, okay go get some rest so I hung up. Then this overwhelming fear and panic set in and took my thoughts and heart down a dark road to a place I didn't need to go. So in my panic I tried to call him back. First attempt: the cell phone completely froze. Okay take the battery out, try again. Second attempt: Ring, Ring, 'The number you have dialed has been disconnected'. Crap, dialed it wrong, try again. Third attempt: checked the dialing, yep thats okay, send. Ring Ring, 'The number you have dialed has been disconnected'. The only way it could have been more clear was God himself saying out loud "Hey, you gave this to me right? THEN LET ME HANDLE IT!!" So I let it go, called my friend and talked thru the moment. (Thanks Shell!) Since I was laying on my bed, I turned over to finish reading the Bible passage I had started before all this. Psalm 32 was where the Bible was open to, so I read it. Verse 9 really stood out.
     Psalm 32:9 (NASB): "Do not be as the horse or the mule which have no understanding, whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check..."

So God blatantly told me I was being as stubborn as a mule. Now since I have an odd sense of humor I'm learning that God loves to use that to get his message across. So with that verse in mind, I will be working hard to keep Him from having to yank my lead too often.

No Pay?

Okay normally I hate politics. Today I hate them even more. I was reading some of the news websites and can genuinely say WHAT? If I am understanding this whole government shut down mess, military members will not be getting paid if the government shuts down. So that means not only is my husand thousands of miles away, doing a job that has never been a 40 hour work week job, and is not allowed to just not show up for work (there's major consequences for that) BUT now he has to continue to work even though we won't be getting a paycheck. Congress members will still get paid won't they? So how did our government reach the point of being so completely dysfunctional but still in service? I just don't understand...

Love is patient...

For my anniversary a friend of mine gave me a book by Max Lucado: A Love Worth Giving. So far it is taking 1 Corinthians 13 one descriptor at a time and examining love in depth. The very first attribute given to love is Patience. Now as humans this is a tough one, especially with our society's desire for instant gratification. I have read this chapter twice now because patience is not a phrase used to describe me very often, but I would like for it to be.

A few things that Max Lucado points out that caught my attention:
~ "Impatience imprisons the soul": "Self absorption and ingratitude make for thick walls and lonely jails."
~ "Patience always hitches a ride with understanding" so when praying for patience also ask for understanding.

I know this is especially true with my kids. When I am impatient and not listening I sometimes snap or jump to a conclusion before they have a chance to even finish their sentence, which creates frustration or hurt. Yet if I can wait for them to finish whatever they are saying and actually understand their point, things go smoother. I cannot promise I will always be successful but I can promise to be more deliberate to gain patience and understanding both.

As Mr. Lucado writes: " Before love is anythign else, love is patient"

Courage 2

When my husband called tonight, I found the courage again to be open. I simply said that when I had expressed my burden to him before and made a simple request that the only thing I needed to hear him say was "I will" yet he chose defensiveness. This revelation was answered with silence. So what do I do now? I continue to pray and wait. Some of the past deployments were "easy" (for those who have been there, you understand) this one is not. My heart is uneasy and that's the only way I know to describe it.

Courage

There are times when it takes courage to talk honestly. Especially to someone we love. Is it because our past behaviors and reactions have set a preconception for all future performances? Or maybe because we love this person they have a power over our hearts that we have to weigh the risk of hurt to the value of complete honesty. I was honest with my husband about something that was truly weighing on my heart. His response was defensiveness, though I was not accusing. The result for me was pain and disappointment. All I needed to hear from him were the words "I will". Extended separations (for us by the military) put a strain on marriage. Communication can be stilted and sparse due to not wanting to worry the other person about what is truly going on. But if you find the courage, be prepared that you may not get the response you need.