Confessions

  • In thinking about Mother’s Day about a month ago, I purposed in my heart that I would not feel sorry for myself.  Yes, Josiah will not be here to make my day special (because let’s face it, my kids are currently CLUELESS!)…but that doesn’t mean that I should wallow in self-pity.  Will it be tough?  Yeah, probably…but I can make the most of it.  So, I decided to just buy myself something special…and being a female, I chose jewelry 🙂  There was a “mommy” necklace” I had been eyeing for a while and I just felt like Josiah would say “Honey, just buy it for yourself”…ok, maybe not….but he probably would 🙂  Anyway, I ordered it and it came a couple of weeks ago.

(it's hard to see but each disc has one of the kids names and their birth-stone and I added a pearl for my baby Grace in heaven)

I LOVE it!  It’s just what I wanted.  Of course it was a little bitter/sweet receiving it…but that’s for another post.

  • I also bought myself a pair of shoes…you know, for Mother’s day 🙂  Aren’t they ca-ute!
  • After much debate, I took my wedding ring off yesterday. It was time.  I had been debating this for months in my head, wondering what to do.  I consulted “Widow’s for Dummies”….oh wait…there is no such manual.  I decided that it’s just one of those things that each widow (or widower) has to decided for themselves.  I felt like I was lying having it on…but I also felt like I was lying taking it off.  I still absolutely LOVE it.  Josiah had it made for me and painstakingly picked out each diamond himself.  I didn’t like the idea of just putting it away, so I am wearing it on my right hand.  I’m still getting used to it.  I feel lop-sided and I still try to play with it on my left hand.  But at least for now, it’s the right thing for me.
  • Remember when I mentioned the first time I cleaned my bathroom after Josiah died?  Well…I have yet to wash my sheets.  I know…gross.  But I just haven’t made the time to do it…and I’m sure there is some sentimental reasons mixed in there too.  Like I have said before, I have started a whole new life and that includes re-learning how to do some of the most basic tasks.  And also finding a different motivation to do them then for my husband.
  • While we are on the subject.  I still only sleep on “my” side of the bed.  There is usually a stack of pillows on the other side.  That started off as a comfort measure as it made the bed not feel so empty…now it’s just habit.
  • I changed my facebook relationship status from “Married” to “Widowed”…ugh.  I wanted to put a giant “dislike” after it.  That may not seem like that big of a deal, but it was hard and something that had been weighing on me to do.  There are lots of things like that.
  • I am seriously looking into some changes (and a face-lift) for my blog…stay tuned 🙂

OK, so not all of those are confessions…oh well 🙂

Comfortable

I like to be comfortable.  I don’t like to be cold or hot.  Last week the temperature was in the 50’s and I will admit that I turned my furnace back on…and it wasn’t because of the children even though I may have used them as an excuse.  I don’t like to be hot either…which may be part of the reason why I don’t like to exercise.  I like to be comfortable.  Who doesn’t right?  But I can become consumed with being comfortable…it can become number one priority.  Being comfortable can start to dictate my life…I can’t go there because it’s too cold, or I can’t do that because I might get too hot.  Why am I telling you all this?  I’m glad you asked 🙂  I’m telling you this because this whole obsession with being comfortable can soooo be my spiritual life too.  Being hot for God is great…but it’s tiring.  Being cold is definitely not a pleasant place to be.  But sometimes I just want to coast.  To take it easy.  To be comfortable.  To just live life and not think too much about what God wants me to do every second of every day.  Now, this doesn’t usually happen on purpose.  I don’t just up and decide one day to be lazy in my walk with God.  Life happens.  Stuff happens and before I know it…my joy is gone.  My tenderness to His leading is gone.  And then I do have to make a conscious choice to get back in the heat.  To humble myself, ask for His mercy, and seek to listen and obey.  I found myself in that place last week (although, it can happen multiple times a day) and you know what?  God was still right there and exactly the same…waiting for me to surrender yet again.  It takes effort to stay in that Spirit led walk…and it’s not always comfortable (at least according to my definition).  He leads me to do things that I don’t want to do…things that make me…uncomfortable.  But the funny thing is…it’s the place where He brings me peace and joy, and it’s the place that I find…the God of all comforts.  Ironic, right?  So, I find again and again and again that the life that I thought would be comfortable…isn’t.  But the life that is wholly surrendered to my Savior…ahhhh, like a cool summer breeze…comfortable (according to God’s definition).

“So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.” Revelation 3:16

“Oh, send out Your light and Your truth!  Let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to Your tabernacle.  Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And on the harp I will praise You, O God, my God.”  Psalm 43:3-4