half-full

The snow quietly falls just outside the window once again and I’m not sorry about it.

Hi friends.

I greet you from Panera where the orange ginger tea is hot and lovely and the oatmeal cookie ain’t half bad either.

Welcome to February where love just floats in the air and where we stick more things than should be hung on the walls and ceilings and especially make a big ‘ol deal each Friday.

So in Good Friday-in-February-fashion I thought I’d leave you a marriage post each week to remind you how lovely, difficult, rewarding, challenging, frustrating and fascinating marriage is.

Enjoy.

I’m looking back to the time my husband and I scheduled a getaway to reintroduce ourselves to each other after the busiest August in history.

We slipped away as long as we could leaving early on Monday and getting back late afternoon that next Saturday.

We wanted a place where we could cook a bit, take a few drives and of course end the week at EPCOT where Mexico always greets us and the boat ride never has more than a five minute line.

A children's Bible camp born out of the 30's with "Parent Trap" vibes welcomed us and let us tour their facilities which brought us into contact with the dearest man in his 70's by the name of "Herb."

His Northeastern drawl gave him away and when we pressed him he mentioned that he came from "New Ham-shuh."

His smile was contagious peeking out over his Amish style white beard and throughout the week we began to enjoy more and more time with our camp neighbor.

We learned that his wife of 30 years left him.

He winced as he said, "She never liked being married."

After a front-row seat to his daily life, which mostly consisted of him sitting with his bible on the porch of his little retirement trailer and driving his new golf cart around to check on air conditioners- I can't imagine why a wife wouldn't enjoy serving alongside him.

I couldn't help but bring him cookies and ice cream at night and even invited him over for dinner because I just saw Christ in Herb and wanted to encourage him,

Because no matter how far you fly to take a break from ministry, there's always more ministry to be a part of if our hearts even weary, are looking for it.

We even attended church with Herb and sang three part harmony in the pew together which was a real highlight for me.

And as we left the service Herb's assistant pastor grabbed my husband, me, Herb and another worker at the camp and asked if he could pray for us.

As a family we try to make a point to pray for those who stay with us before they head out to leave, but I couldn’t remember the last time someone prayed over us.

I could feel my eyes beginning to mist a bit and hurried to close them and listen to this sweet blessing,

"Lord, I ask that you would help this couple to see that the cup isn't half empty, but half full.."

He continued but my heart grabbed onto that truth with a strangle-hold.

"half-full."

The previous month had been full-to-overflowing with busy and blessing and even a lingering burden or two.

We were weary in well-doing as encouraged NOT to be in Galatians 6, and the new surroundings allowed us to slow enough to read our bibles together, sitting still long enough to allow the Lord to fill in the cracks we had been patching to the best of our ability.

I for one, was looking at a "cup" not "half-empty," but plum dried to the bone.

Have you been there?

Maybe you’re still reeling from the holidays and the thought of celebrating one more holiday with no reserves is asking just too much.

I get it.

You and your husband have become business partners once again and you don’t even know where to begin again.

Again, I get it.

Even busy in good things can bring a dry spell and make you wonder if marriage truly is a a blessing after all.

Sometimes in ministry we need Herbs to remind us that if our spouse stuck it out we should be very very grateful.

Sometimes we need assistant pastors to pray over us and remind us how very blessed we really are.

And always, as a couple, we need to be grateful.

We need to see goodness at every turn. Every sunset, every dinner shared, every belly laugh over that inside joke, and every answered prayer.

We need to speak goodness to those who chose to love us even when we have morning breath and stomach viruses and our hormones make us look like a tomato some days.

A grateful heart makes for a very wonderful marriage.

Gratitude fills our cups to overflowing which spills out on every other area of our lives.

This first Friday of February make a decision to thank the Lord for your giving you the gift of your spouse and for giving them a taste for your cooking.

And while you’re at it, begin a running list of gratitude for your spouse.

Now I’m gonna go take my own advice.

Happy February friends.