Another Day

The Man had a minute yesterday to work on a project and decided to finish some sheet rock in the basement. His plans were changed for him. The sheet rock was wet again. He spent the day on the roof in a rain storm fixing gutters instead.

As the front door closed behind My Man, and I knew he was headed for the roof, I felt sick. Something bad was going to happen. He was going to fall off and our lives were going to be changed forever.

I didn't say anything. I've been doubting myself a bit lately. I made the mistake of watching The Saratov Approach the other night. Not recommended viewing for mothers of missionaries. I've been on edge more than usual. Steve would have done what needed to be done anyway. He's just like that.

When I get emotional I get busy. I have to. So I went in my closet and started cleaning....and praying. I started to imagine my life without my best friend by my side. Tried to fathom raising children without a daddy. Tried not to wonder how I could ever get through a week without a Friday night date.

I realized that I wasn't just being paranoid. Something bad really was going to happen.

There was a knock at the door.

It was My Man. He couldn't even get the door opened. He had fallen. As his weight transferred onto the ladder, it had buckled. The whole ladder crumpled up. He fell into a pile of boulders from roof height and miraculously missed them. He was cut and bruised and covered in mud.

But he was still alive.
.
My Father listened to my pleas. He must have just wanted me to have a wake up call to all the blessings a good man brings into my life. 

I don't think I take my sweetheart for granted, but I feel different today. When he told me I was beautiful I decided to trust him. I watched him at church with his primary class (he had a large group of 6 year olds today). I really watched him. He is so patient with them.

I noticed how he guided our 14 year old son to take the lead in their Home Teaching assignments (they look over two families together). He treated Sir Jake like a man and wasn't surprised when he behaved like one.

I let register the simple pleasure My Man gets just from holding his baby girls in his arms, their faces lighting up as his whiskers and their tiny fingers meet.

We went for a walk tonight and I let the warmth of his arm around me infuse my being.

I don't know how much of this life will get to be spent with my best friend. I don't know what kind of trials lay before us. I don't know why God spared him yesterday.

What I do know is that I got another day.  What I do know is that the influence of a righteous man is great. I know that a man that honors covenants and puts his wife and children before himself is extraordinarily powerful.

And I know I'm lucky to be married to such a man.