This may sound a bit odd, but I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately.
I find myself thankful for something a bit weird.
Obviously…
I am thankful for the time that Shelly and I had together. I am thankful for the struggle, and the trials and the money problems and the kid problems and all the things we faced that brought us closer together.
We packed up and moved across the country, we shared the joy of watching our kids grow, the joy of watching them face and overcome their own trials and even celebrated with two of them (so far) as they found their own sweet wives to marry.
We mourned the passing of those we loved, we prayed together and we hugged and loved on each other and our kids. I know what real love is because I have felt it deep in my core.
We spent our 30th Anniversary together (alone for awhile) and then Shelly’s brother and his wife joined us in Destin, Florida and we were able to fall in love all over again (for about the 100th time) just 5 months before she passed away.
And, I’m thankful that Shelly passed away with ZERO questions in her mind about how I felt about her (she KNEW without a shadow of a doubt of my deep eternal love for her.)
I am thankful for every good (and bad) event we lived through together.
But right now, it may seem kinda weird, but I’m especially thankful and happy…
that Shelly left before me.
I know that may seem weird, but hear me out.
You know why I’m happy she left before me?
Because she didn’t have to go through the pain and suffering of burying me, and being left alone.
I will be the one to go through that and I am grateful, and I thank God for that simple blessing. I love her so much that I wouldn’t have ever wanted to see her go through that. And to see her suffer.
Now, I can know she’s in a better place and is loved beyond belief. I’ll happily finish OUR work here. For both of us.
And I’m especially grateful to God for carrying me through this challenge. Many of you have asked how I’ve done it and uplifted me by sharing with me that that you admire my resiliency and courage.
To that, I’d say… thank you… but don’t be too impressed.
Recently, I attended the Temple with a friend and was reminded that over 30 years ago Shelly and I made covenants together and with God. Many of those covenants have very explicit blessings that are promised to me as part of those covenants.
If I do this… God promises to do that. Simple.
I have become a recipient of many of those very explicit blessings in my life recently. I have watched as I kept my end of the deal, God has kept His. I’m watching in real time as Heavenly Father pours out His blessing on me and my family as He watches over us.
At times, He has uplifted me. At times comforted. At times I have absolutely been carried by a Higher Power.
Without God in my life, and without those promised blessings, I would have folded like a piece of paper. A VERY THIN piece of paper.
The covenants I made in the Temple with Shelly more than 30 years ago have NEVER been more real and more redeeming in my life than right here and right now.
You know what?
Now that I think about it…
Forget everything you just read. It’s not that weird after all, huh?
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