Life... [Insert Cliche]

Life… I can’t help but want to say something cliché.  What a whirlwind of a year.  Unexpected hits, curveballs, you name it! The hubbs got a new job, all of our extended family will be states away instead of blocks away, the cat has acquired hairballs for the first time in 7 years, I broke my ankle and survived, we just got a realtor AND I am now completely obsessed with Duck Dynasty.  As unexpected as life is for me from my point of view, I’ve noticed that life doesn’t bring events that others haven’t dealt with.  It’s great! I’ve bought every marriage book from the dollar bookstore I can find! Hopefully, I’ll be an expert soon.  What I knew nothing about though and couldn’t find a book on was a broken ankle and the emotional baggage that followed.  Lots of people break their ankle though according to Instagram but I have yet to see a book! CRAZY! Did you know that you CANNOT get a cast wet!? Yeah… shower time was a blast (sarcasm).  As an independent person, relying on others to take a shower (my husband… we’re married! Calm Down!), prepare a meal, get down the stairs… put my socks on (!!) was ROUGH!  I did not realize how much I took my foot for granted.  Relying on others was surprisingly a hit to my ego.  I thought my little ‘ol 5 foot self could handle everything thrown at me before that day!  Hearing the pop of my ankle as I fell was a shock.  I froze.  I could not take care of myself in that moment.  I learned a tough lesson…. God did not cause me to fall or cause this incident to happen to teach me something.  I was definitely tempted at times to be mad at God but ultimately, I chose to jump on that trampoline.  Yes, a trampoline… you surprisingly can jump really really high on those things….  Life was what happened to me.  And when life throws curveballs, that’s when the enemy puts thoughts in your head to take you out, tear you down, and make you doubt.  He almost had me in that moment… and several moments after that.  I learned though that I am NOT in charge.  God didn’t cause me to break my ankle but through breaking my ankle, I can learn.  I learned that I needed to rely on God to keep me sane.  I needed to rely on God in areas that were out of my control.   It was definitely an eye-opener.  I thrived on being able to control my situation.  And in this circumstance, I was unprepared.  I truly believe that God chose Jared to be my husband and I, also, believe that when people rely on God completely in areas of their life, God comes through.  In this crazy episode of my life, I saw God come through.  I learned that God knew I was going to choose to jump and prepared my life for it for me.  He came through by having Jared there in my life for the long haul.  God took care of me when I was unable to take care of myself by having Jared there to undertake the brunt of it and stick it out with me despite my many crocodile tears (Si reference).  I need to respect and love the man that God put in my life to adore, protect, and care for me because in essence, I will be respecting and loving my Heavenly Father who put him there.  

Ephesians 5: 22-29 reads “Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands as you do to the Lord.  For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.  In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies.  He who loves his wife loves himself.  After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church.” 

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