You’ll note that my postings have and will contain a sprinkling of references to my faith. I do not intend this as an attempt to prostelyze nor do I do this out of religious stubbornness.
If this encourages you, good. If this angers or disappoints you, please don’t take my statements as a judgment or an assumption that I am narrow-minded. I am old enough and experienced enough to know that my understanding of faith is not the same, nor should it be the same, for everyone.
God is as much a part of my family’s lives as words are a part of speaking or as taste is a part of eating. We can’t go a day without seeing, or looking for, His hand in our journeys. We know He won’t shield us from pain any more than He will shield us from joy or indifference – with this in mind we keep an eye out to ‘see’ Him in all circumstances for comfort in times of pain or to thank Him for the good times.
With that being said, I’ll explain why I think God put us together.
By nature, I’m fairly static. I’ll gladly eat the same food every day, take the same bus to work, wear the same style of clothing on a daily basis (if I could get away with it), and talk with the same people. That’s ok with me. My mind has enough going on inside to keep external needs out of the picture. As a matter of fact, too much external stimuli – a crowded convention center, for example, or a noisy restaurant – will make me extremely jittery.
My wife, who, by the way, suffers from bipolar disorder symptoms, seems to be the opposite. Routine is her anathema, the one thing in her life that creates more havoc than anything else.
By now it’s probably obvious to you what I will say next. And you are right. We were put together to compliment each other, to build on each others’ strengths and to work through the weaknesses. This is the same for any relationship of this type, be it man and woman in marriage, friends, lovers, or blood relatives.
Without the canvas, there is no painting. A scattering of bricks and wood is just that until it is crafted into a shelter. A stone without energy put into it can never become a statue. And heeding a guiding hand to put these types of objects together can yield not just a creation, but a masterpiece.
However, it’s not all beauty and wonder. Acids and bases mixed together, like vinegar and baking soda, can yield some shattering results. Yes, it’s fun to watch but it tastes like hell and hurts the stomach long afterwards.
I know that God works through people – the highly visible ones like world and religious leaders, business owners, sports figures, as well as those of us ‘in the trenches’, eking out a living. (Actually, I believe He works through us ordinary folk more often cuz there’s more of us- it’s a sheer numbers game then.)
This is how I find strength to move forward, to keep going. Like during times when I find it hard to get out of bed after a particularly tough night. Or when a phone conversation has warned me that life at home is not all right on a particular day and coming home may or may not be pleasant.
It’s also how I see the fantastic beauty of my wife when she shines, sometimes so brightly I can’t bear to look upon her. When I see her cuddling with the kids and know they are getting the attention they need from her. And when I come home and appreciate the elegant and intricate arrangement of the furnishings when she decides it’s time to rearrange things.
Would I do it again, given a divinely-granted fresh start?
Yes and yes again.
As a matter of fact, I would beg for it, to have her share her life with me again. I am more complete now than I would ever have known, or ever would have known to ask for.