Wednesday 20 February 2013
from the Editor's Desk
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances.
1 Thess 5:16-18 NIV
How easily we forget to be thankful. This summer has been the hottest and driest I have seen since I have lived in Gympie. My poor garden is slowly dying, I can’t feed it as we are on tank water and the level is getting lower by the day. To get a fill of water there is a 2 week waiting period hence tank water has become so very valuable in my home right now. I have found myself worrying so much, especially as we have had a few visitors coming through and I want their time with us to be perfect, enjoying our home and what it has to offer and not worrying when they have showers etc.
Then I look around this awesome country of ours and see the devastation happening and I have to pull my horns in. Oh shame on me – my troubles are insignificant compared to others who are losing their homes and lives. Then God comes along and brings me 1 Thessalonians 5: 16 -18 only a few words but they sink deep into my heart. Let 2013 become the year we learn to be thankful in all things.
Our first edition of conXion for 2013 holds many stories from many diverse women. I have often written that come the 20th of the month I am waiting for articles to land on my desk and God has never disappointed me. I am thrilled with what has landed this month! I talk about rain here in Australia, then read Karen’s story of rain in Dubai where they don’t get much at all.
One thing that has excited me this year is that each issue of conXion will feature the personal life story from a woman of faith. This first one is shared by one of my favourite singer-song writers, Bel Morrison/Thomson. It's a story of love and waiting on God. Bel tells the love story of how she met her husband Phil. I am sure it will touch your heart as it did mine when Bel first shared it with me.
I shared in December that a decision was made to dissolve a National Women’s Conference. Marj Dredge, National Coordinator has written the final report from this meeting, for those who have been involved one way or another for your interest this report is in this month’s edition.
Lastly I take this opportunity to encourage you to attend the first ladies’ camp/retreat for this year, to be held at Camp Koojarewon at Highfields near Toowoomba. Camp leader Pam Hine and her team are preparing yet another special time of gathering to worship, hear and share God’s word. Donna Savill is their guest speaker and will be speaking on the theme ‘Cling to the Vine’. Ladies’ retreats are a wonderful way to take time away from everyday life to spend time with God and like-minded women.
In His love, Andi
For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.
Gen 2:24
We’re currently in the middle of moving house.
It’s a stressful time. There are never enough hours in the day to get everything done. Then there’s a full time job and other responsibilities to compete for the limited time.
Now it’s not the first time we’ve had to move and I seriously doubt it will be the last. We’ve always moved ourselves with friends to help lighten the load a little. I don’t think I’ve ever used a paid removalist. Over the years my husband and I have worked out a system. I’ll sort, he’ll pack. I’ll clean, we carry, he’ll load. He’ll drive. I’ll clean at the other end, he’ll unload, we’ll carry, we’ll unpack at the other end…eventually.
That’s how it works. We know what our part is and we both play it well.
When things get in the way, it’s actually very hard.
My husband needed to work late five of the seven days we had planned for the cleaning and packing days. I stood in front of a table of kitchenware, staring at the light glinting off the glass – almost frozen. This wasn’t my part of how we did this.
Physically, I am able to wrap things in paper and pack them in a box. Mentally, I can figure out that it will fit better in a particular way than in another. Emotionally; I was a mess. It was an emotional struggle to pack a box.
I stood there giving myself a little pep talk.
Come on, you can do this. If he wasn’t around at all, you would have to do this yourself. Just pick up a glass and wrap it.
It didn’t work. The very idea that I would have to
pack on my own was so daunting it was devastating. I burst into tears at the thought that my husband wasn’t here to do his part of the task. I did pack the box, but it so hard.
Now, my husband’s not dead. He was at work. He came home eventually. Things worked out and our kitchen is mostly in boxes.
My thought as I went to bed that night was an ‘oh wow God’ moment. God gave me my husband. He’s not perfect (the husband), but then neither am I.
Perfect or not, we fit together. Where I am weak he is strong - and vice versa. We are a team.
From that experience I am now so much more aware of the things that he does; that have just become a pattern in our lives. I would be so lost without him there to do it. The thing is, I take it for granted. He’ll be there to pack; he’ll be there to load the ute; he’ll be there to drive the heavy load through the streets of town. That’s just what he does.
I thank God for the things my husband ‘just does’. I even thanked my husband.
It’s so easy to take the little everyday things for granted. Make sure you take the time to notice them, appreciate them…and actually thank him for doing them.
He’s your husband. He deserves it.
T P Hogan
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)