You know, I had not intended to be away from the blogosphere for an entire week. I was all set to go back to regular blogging, but then some Life happened. In a big way.
However, this post is not about throwing a poor-Elizabeth party. It's about celebrating the fact that although this past week has been nothing short of an emotional roller-coaster with more lows than highs, it has also been a reminder to remember how blessed we are. For starters, Chris got to go back to work this week and we get to look forward to full back-pay for the time he was off. Our pay will be a little off-balance for a month or so, but we will be paid, so that was fantastic news.
Not to be super-secretive, but we have only discussed this big Life Happening with a few people, and I'm going to wait until next week to share the full spectrum (to clear most initial thoughts, I am not pregnant, we are not getting divorced, we are not moving, no one's having surgery, and no one's dying). Sharing tends to go one of two ways. This post is about the first way it goes, and involves being thankful for some very specific people.
To the woman who is my St. Louis mother, mentor, and confidant, I am so thankful for you. When I need spiritual wisdom, inspiration, or a reality check to take it easy on myself, you are there for me. You aren't afraid to tell me something I might not want to hear. You speak the Truth. You have a heart and soul that I can only hope to emulate. You know who you are.
To my dear friend who only needed me to say a few words to know what I was calling to tell her, I am so thankful for you. How we ended up in each others' lives would seem like quite a coincidence to some, but we know better. God sure works in interesting ways. I might even eventually love this city because of your love for it. You know who you are.
To the friend who sat by my side last night, hugged me, held my hand, and assured me that you will be there for us as we work through everything, I am so thankful for you. You have become one of my best friends and I don't know what I would do without you. You know who you are... and if you're unsure for some crazy reason, the hint is "oreos".
And finally, to the friend who just got all of my crazy details today, looked at me with love, and assured me that we can do this, I am so thankful for you. You are one of the most real people I know, so selfless and loving, and I am beyond blessed to call you my friend. You know who you are.
And just to give them an extra shout out without actually writing names, these fantastic ladies (with the exception of my "St. Louis mom") just might have participated in a certain muddy event with me this summer.... Just saying.
I love you, ladies. I truly, truly, truly don't know how I would get through this time without you, and I tear up every time I say that, because that's a huge area of vulnerability for me! As I told one of you last night, I don't like needing people. This goes back to a lot of things in my past life, but I just don't. I don't want to need anyone - because if I need you, then I'm only setting myself up for hurt when/if you're not there! But what kind of way is that to live? I don't even like needing Chris, but I can tell you that I have really needed him this week, along with the rest of my closest friends. And it has been kind of nice to just break down that wall and allow myself to accept the givings of others as I have needed them.
Chris is one person who deserves to be mentioned by name. His heart is so big. In only a week's time, I have watched that heart grow as he acknowledged many emotions, stood up to opposition, and just held it together in general while I was falling apart. Through this crazy week, we have probably grown in ways that it takes most people months or years to get to. And for that, I am thankful.
Finally, it's not always easy to think of it this way, but I am thankful to be chosen for this. I have to believe that things do not "just happen." We are all chosen for every detail of this life. So surely, if we were chosen for this, surely the reward is great. Surely, as I have said before during tough times, He who promised is faithful.
To put two verses together, when my heart is overwhelmed, I will hold unswervingly.
What are you thankful for today?
However, this post is not about throwing a poor-Elizabeth party. It's about celebrating the fact that although this past week has been nothing short of an emotional roller-coaster with more lows than highs, it has also been a reminder to remember how blessed we are. For starters, Chris got to go back to work this week and we get to look forward to full back-pay for the time he was off. Our pay will be a little off-balance for a month or so, but we will be paid, so that was fantastic news.
Not to be super-secretive, but we have only discussed this big Life Happening with a few people, and I'm going to wait until next week to share the full spectrum (to clear most initial thoughts, I am not pregnant, we are not getting divorced, we are not moving, no one's having surgery, and no one's dying). Sharing tends to go one of two ways. This post is about the first way it goes, and involves being thankful for some very specific people.
To the woman who is my St. Louis mother, mentor, and confidant, I am so thankful for you. When I need spiritual wisdom, inspiration, or a reality check to take it easy on myself, you are there for me. You aren't afraid to tell me something I might not want to hear. You speak the Truth. You have a heart and soul that I can only hope to emulate. You know who you are.
To my dear friend who only needed me to say a few words to know what I was calling to tell her, I am so thankful for you. How we ended up in each others' lives would seem like quite a coincidence to some, but we know better. God sure works in interesting ways. I might even eventually love this city because of your love for it. You know who you are.
To the friend who sat by my side last night, hugged me, held my hand, and assured me that you will be there for us as we work through everything, I am so thankful for you. You have become one of my best friends and I don't know what I would do without you. You know who you are... and if you're unsure for some crazy reason, the hint is "oreos".
And finally, to the friend who just got all of my crazy details today, looked at me with love, and assured me that we can do this, I am so thankful for you. You are one of the most real people I know, so selfless and loving, and I am beyond blessed to call you my friend. You know who you are.
And just to give them an extra shout out without actually writing names, these fantastic ladies (with the exception of my "St. Louis mom") just might have participated in a certain muddy event with me this summer.... Just saying.
I love you, ladies. I truly, truly, truly don't know how I would get through this time without you, and I tear up every time I say that, because that's a huge area of vulnerability for me! As I told one of you last night, I don't like needing people. This goes back to a lot of things in my past life, but I just don't. I don't want to need anyone - because if I need you, then I'm only setting myself up for hurt when/if you're not there! But what kind of way is that to live? I don't even like needing Chris, but I can tell you that I have really needed him this week, along with the rest of my closest friends. And it has been kind of nice to just break down that wall and allow myself to accept the givings of others as I have needed them.
Chris is one person who deserves to be mentioned by name. His heart is so big. In only a week's time, I have watched that heart grow as he acknowledged many emotions, stood up to opposition, and just held it together in general while I was falling apart. Through this crazy week, we have probably grown in ways that it takes most people months or years to get to. And for that, I am thankful.
Finally, it's not always easy to think of it this way, but I am thankful to be chosen for this. I have to believe that things do not "just happen." We are all chosen for every detail of this life. So surely, if we were chosen for this, surely the reward is great. Surely, as I have said before during tough times, He who promised is faithful.
To put two verses together, when my heart is overwhelmed, I will hold unswervingly.
What are you thankful for today?
No comments:
Post a Comment
I would love to hear from you!