The day is filled with tons and tons of moments. Moments that last just a second, some a little longer.. moments that make you angry, moments that make you sad, and moments that fill your heart with so much joy it could burst. And moments that in most cases get taken for granted....
Late last night my children and I piled in bed and watched a movie, we snuggled, and watched Beauty and the Beast (my kids first time seeing the movie), and while I truly enjoyed these moments with them.... I watched my husband pick up around the house a bit, put some things away, take a shower, and much later come crawl into bed with us.... Just as he came in, it was time for me to put the kids to bed in their rooms. Most of the time the role is reversed and I am the one doing all those little things, baths, laying out the next days clothes bookbags etc, putting the dog to bed, all those little menial things that are so tiring... and last night as I watched Adam get to enjoy about 10 minutes of true family time with us, I became so thankful.....
Two nights ago I came home to Adam cooking dinner. He was mixing up some cornbread, Palmer had a chair pulled up right beside him at the counter, and he was just cooking away; Palmer just chattering as she pretend cooked. Cray was running around, Adam answering a bazillion of his questions... It was pure chaos... purely beautiful chaos, I became so thankful.....
Yesterday, I had a customer fly in from New York to buy a Corvette, he landed in Asheville at 1:45, if I timed it just right I could still make it to watch the kids gymnastics and take Cray to soccer practice. As my customer drove off the lot at 4:02 another one walked in the door, I hurried and got everything I needed for todays deal, and out the door I went ten minutes late for making it to gymnastics. As I walked through the gym I saw little hands waving in excitement that their mama was there to watch; Adam standing there holding shoes in his hands amongst a bunch of mothers, watching the kids.....I became so thankful. After gymnastics we whisked across the road to soccer, and Adam and I got to sit on the bleachers in the shade, and just BE STILL and chat for a moment. After soccer, we went out for Taco Tuesday, the kids and I ran to Walmart.... and I came home to a surprise pumpkin crunch and pumpkin pie blizzard that Adam picked up for me on the way home.... I became so so so thankful.
All these little moments, these quick little moments that we normally just let pass us by are huge. There are so many days that we can just pass each other like strangers on the side walk, but instead my husband chooses to show me love in so many ways. He doesn't have to cook dinner, he could wait for me to get home. He doesn't have to run our kids all over creation for activities, but he does. He didn't have to go out of his way to pick me up a surprise dessert, but he did. Everyday Adam chooses to keep loving me. I don't always thank him or praise him like I should; heck most days he probably thinks I don't appreciate him at all.... But man, do I ever. Don't get me wrong there are days when I think "why do I do everything around here", always loading the dishwasher, bathing the kids, blah blah blah.... but it's give and take, I have to do my part and he has to do his. And as I watched him crawl into bed last night, I was so so thankful for my husband. Today, typing this I am so so thankful for my husband. Those moments that I get to have with him every day, good/bad, happy, or whatever, I am so thankful.
Catch a glimpse of your husband and in that moment whatever he is doing appreciate him. Appreciate him for his flaws, appreciate him for his perfections, for his quirks, for his handsomeness.... whatever drew you to him in the first place, be thankful for him and the everyday moments you get to share because in those rushed moments, the ones we take for granted, you'll thank God for the blessing that is yours.
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Friday, September 16, 2016
Purpose
I haven't blogged in a while.... a really long while. But right in the middle of a stressful Friday, something happened that was just too much to put into a simple facebook post. So I had to share the story.
Today has been stressful, this week has been stressful. When you work in a dealership your life is consumed by appraisals and finance, and customers that hammer you all day for THE BEST PRICE POSSIBLE. Sometimes the day to day duties and routine customers just push you to the limit; this week has been one of those weeks..... So the next bit of my story was a welcomed surprise.
About 2:00 today one of the service writers brought a lady to my office who was shockingly enough needing an appraisal... she wanted to know what trade in value was, and suggested retail value was for her truck. To my confession, immediately I was annoyed... here I was on a Friday, at 2:05 (about twenty minutes away from needing to pick up my kids) with ANOTHER appraisal request from nobody that wanted to buy a vehicle.... So, I wrote up the appraisal, jumped in the ladies truck, got the values and came back to my office, I sat down to give her the details and the most amazing thing happened....
As I began to go over the details of the truck with the lady, she told me that this was her husbands truck and he had just passed away. They had been married 34 years. He was a Marine, "strong and handsome" she said, as tears filled her eyes. She let me know that he had cancer, and it had gotten to the point that he ended up passing away of a stroke right in front of her. By the time she got him to the hospital, he had already become brain dead and didn't live but hours after that. She told me that she held his hand as he took his last breath. But this is the amazing part.....
The lady shared with me that God had perfectly orchestrated her whole life, and while she was a little bitter that her husband had left her here on this earth alone. She knew that God had perfectly led her up to this point. She shared with me that she had been married before, and God put her husband in front of her at just the perfect moment, God knew she needed him, and they shared 34 years together. She shared with me that when searching for Dr's to help her husband with treatment, he didn't respond well to chemo (she watched him suffer), God led her to the perfect Dr. in Atlanta. She shared with me that when it was her husbands time to go that God allowed her son to be in town that weekend (he normally lives in TX), to be by her side. All of these moments God knew just what she needed. She shared with me that since her husband had passed though, she didn't know what her purpose was now that he was gone.... but even in that angst, she knew that God had left her here for a purpose......
Obviously, today her purpose was to witness to me! WOW. Just wow. What Faith! Here I am whining having a down right pity party about a stressful day. And this lady in all her sorrow, in having to pick up the pieces, and learn to be on her own, she sang praises! Praises to a good God. I hugged her, she cried, and I cried, and I thanked her for sharing her story. And I thanked her for loving the Lord. And I thanked her and told her that today she had a purpose, today she shared God's goodness with another Christian woman. Today she reminded me to look around and be thankful. Today she reminded me to call my husband and tell him I love him. Today she reminded me that I serve a good and gracious God, even in times of trouble.
I was so wrapped up in this lady that I looked at my watch and it was 2:55, I told her I had to run pick up my kids, but thanked her again for visiting with me. And let her know that if she ever needed anything to call me, even if it was just to talk again, because I enjoyed her company so much.....
I just cried and cried on my way to get the kids, how could I be so selfish....and once I got back to my office I couldn't help but think what have I missed out on with other people? Are there days I'm so frustrated and in such a hurry I don't take the time to appreciate those around me? How many have I missed the opportunity to share God's goodness with.....
God truly puts people in our path for a purpose. Everyone is fighting a battle. Most days A LOT bigger than the one I am fighting. LOVE those around you, LOVE your neighbor, LOVE your family, give THANKS to the ONE providing.... slow down..... life is precious, God is good, sometimes we just need to be reminded.
Today has been stressful, this week has been stressful. When you work in a dealership your life is consumed by appraisals and finance, and customers that hammer you all day for THE BEST PRICE POSSIBLE. Sometimes the day to day duties and routine customers just push you to the limit; this week has been one of those weeks..... So the next bit of my story was a welcomed surprise.
About 2:00 today one of the service writers brought a lady to my office who was shockingly enough needing an appraisal... she wanted to know what trade in value was, and suggested retail value was for her truck. To my confession, immediately I was annoyed... here I was on a Friday, at 2:05 (about twenty minutes away from needing to pick up my kids) with ANOTHER appraisal request from nobody that wanted to buy a vehicle.... So, I wrote up the appraisal, jumped in the ladies truck, got the values and came back to my office, I sat down to give her the details and the most amazing thing happened....
As I began to go over the details of the truck with the lady, she told me that this was her husbands truck and he had just passed away. They had been married 34 years. He was a Marine, "strong and handsome" she said, as tears filled her eyes. She let me know that he had cancer, and it had gotten to the point that he ended up passing away of a stroke right in front of her. By the time she got him to the hospital, he had already become brain dead and didn't live but hours after that. She told me that she held his hand as he took his last breath. But this is the amazing part.....
The lady shared with me that God had perfectly orchestrated her whole life, and while she was a little bitter that her husband had left her here on this earth alone. She knew that God had perfectly led her up to this point. She shared with me that she had been married before, and God put her husband in front of her at just the perfect moment, God knew she needed him, and they shared 34 years together. She shared with me that when searching for Dr's to help her husband with treatment, he didn't respond well to chemo (she watched him suffer), God led her to the perfect Dr. in Atlanta. She shared with me that when it was her husbands time to go that God allowed her son to be in town that weekend (he normally lives in TX), to be by her side. All of these moments God knew just what she needed. She shared with me that since her husband had passed though, she didn't know what her purpose was now that he was gone.... but even in that angst, she knew that God had left her here for a purpose......
Obviously, today her purpose was to witness to me! WOW. Just wow. What Faith! Here I am whining having a down right pity party about a stressful day. And this lady in all her sorrow, in having to pick up the pieces, and learn to be on her own, she sang praises! Praises to a good God. I hugged her, she cried, and I cried, and I thanked her for sharing her story. And I thanked her for loving the Lord. And I thanked her and told her that today she had a purpose, today she shared God's goodness with another Christian woman. Today she reminded me to look around and be thankful. Today she reminded me to call my husband and tell him I love him. Today she reminded me that I serve a good and gracious God, even in times of trouble.
I was so wrapped up in this lady that I looked at my watch and it was 2:55, I told her I had to run pick up my kids, but thanked her again for visiting with me. And let her know that if she ever needed anything to call me, even if it was just to talk again, because I enjoyed her company so much.....
I just cried and cried on my way to get the kids, how could I be so selfish....and once I got back to my office I couldn't help but think what have I missed out on with other people? Are there days I'm so frustrated and in such a hurry I don't take the time to appreciate those around me? How many have I missed the opportunity to share God's goodness with.....
God truly puts people in our path for a purpose. Everyone is fighting a battle. Most days A LOT bigger than the one I am fighting. LOVE those around you, LOVE your neighbor, LOVE your family, give THANKS to the ONE providing.... slow down..... life is precious, God is good, sometimes we just need to be reminded.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)