It’s happens more than he would like to admit.
On a Sunday night a couple of weeks ago, I came home from teaching a class at church. I pulled into the driveway at about 8pm and noticed that the garage door on my husband’s side was open. “Ok,” I thought. “I bet he is still digging for random equipment and packing for Ranger school.”
I parked my car and soon realized that his truck door was also standing wide open. “Huh. He must have ran an armful of stuff into the house. Bet he will be back in a minute.”
I walked in the side door into the kitchen. Two cabinet doors are open, as well as the silverware drawer. Ok. Either we have been pseudo-robbed or my husband saw something shiny because he is no where in sight. My curiosity piqued, I meandered into the living room. There is my beloved, laying the couch, enjoying man time watch some goofy nature survival show on Netflix.
“Ahem… Um… Darling? Are you DONE in the garage?”
“Oh yeah, babe, been done for quite a while. Why?”
“Would you mind getting up and shutting everything? Seriously.”
As I walked (ok, stomped) back into the kitchen, I turned around and looked across the room. The deep freezer. Lid up. Random pieces of food scattered. Standing. Wide. Open. BAH!
I love my husband. I really, really do. But his man-nerisms (get it? MANnerisms?) sometimes drive me up the wall.
Like his habit of leaving everything WIDE OPEN. Like his insistence to “combat park” everywhere we go (aka, back into the parking space.) How he can make toast for breakfast in the morning and somehow leave a huge mess on the counter.
I love him.
Trying to remember WHY he left the freezer open…
I was hanging out with another infantry wife a few weeks ago while her husband was still at Ranger school and my husband was working (another) overnight duty. I was joking about Brandon’s little MANnerisms, leaving his stuff around the house making messes. But I also shared with her an epiphany I had… I have learned to appreciate those little messes, because those messes meant he was still around.
Last week, I was talking on the phone to a friend from back home about what it is like to be an army spouse. I shared with her our “story” of a deployment, the army schools, separations, the default answer to all questions of army logic, which is “I don’t know why the army did that…”
The last question she asked me was “What do you like most about being married to a soldier?” I didn’t hesitate. “We never take each other for granted.”
Being an army spouse FORCES me to trust and depend on God, totally, fully, completely. There is no other option. Especially on days like today. My beloved is leaving for Ranger School. Which means those aforementioned little messes will be disappearing for a few months. It means that I am not going to find a completely melted container of ice cream left out on the counter when I wake up in the morning because he forgot to put it back in the freezer.
Instead of the cabinets being wide open, my heart is going to be wide open. More than normal. It’s going to be wide open to receive all God has planned for me during this time apart from my beloved. Wide open to experience love, mercy and grace in its highest form. Wide open with an attitude of gratitude for my Lord, my husband and our marriage. And on the days where things seem a little bit too “together” or organized, I might just leave some cabinets wide open…on purpose. Then get down on my knees and praise Him for those pesky open cabinets and treasured open hearts.
Thankful in all circumstances,
SGK
“You need to know, friends, that thanking God over and over for you is not only a pleasure; it’s a must. We have to do it. Your faith is growing phenomenally; your love for each other is developing wonderfully. Why, it’s only right that we give thanks. We’re so proud of you; you’re so steady and determined in your faith despite all the hard times that have come down on you. We tell everyone we meet in the churches all about you.” 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4 (MSG)
Today I am linking up with Getting Down with Jesus, posting about marriage… Check them out!
