Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Dear Papa

I lost my grandfather, my Papa, 20 years ago this year.  I wish I had been able to tell him everything I wanted to say, but I didn't.  So here is what I wish I had said...

Dear Papa,

I miss you so much. Every day.

Remember that boy with the wandering hands that you didn't like so much because you thought he was more likely to "buy beer than milk for the baby"?  He asked me to marry him. Next month we will celebrate 17 years of marriage (and he doesn't drink beer and is an amazing father).  I think you would like and approve of the man he has become.  He has taken good care of your girl.

God has blessed us with 3 beautiful children here and 1 that went straight to Heaven's nursery.  Do you know her? I don't know how the whole Heaven thing works, but I hope you know her.  I pray that you have a little piece of me there with you until I come home.

You would love all 3 of them, Papa.  Logan likes to hunt and loves guns and knives. He is your kind of boy, Papa.  And he bears your name...Logan Edward, a name he is proud of.  Emma looks just like me when I was a kid.  She is smart and funny and so sweet. Mackenzie reminds me so much of Gama.  She would have been another Puddin'-I always loved that nickname.  She loves horses and there is not a mean bone in her body.

Parenting is hard, Papa.  Some days I wish I could talk to you about it.  You always had such good advice, usually disguised as a story about one of the fascinating parts of your own life.  I just pray that they grow up to be good people. Kind people. People like you, Papa.

I guess you know...we lost Michelle and Cliff since you have been gone.  I guess Momma and I are the only ones left, Papa.  I am afraid to lose her, but I know that it is inevitable.  I don't want to be alone.  I feel like I can't live with one more hole in my heart where a loved one used to be.

It's hard, Papa. Knowing I will be last. Missing you. But I hold on to all of the beautiful, happy memories I have of you and I share them with my children.  So, in a way, you live on....

I love you, Papa. I'm sorry I didn't say all of the things that needed to be said before you left.  But I guess it really comes down to "I love you". That's what I want you to know. Always and forever.

With love and tears, your granddaughter-the Monster.

Blessings y'all.
-Meri

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Tears

"Tears are the best evidence of our love." -Kara Tippetts

I am a crier.

I cry when I am happy.  I cry when I am angry.  I cry when I am sad.  Sometimes I cry at television commercials.

Until I had children, I don't think I had experienced true, deep-soul, weeping except for a few times (the loss of my beloved grandparents, my mother's cancer diagnosis).  Since then the words from John 11:35, "Jesus wept", have been written on my heart in an entirely new way.



Lately, it seems, we have been in a season of weeping.  Our family has been walking through the proverbial "valley of the shadow of death". My heart is shattered for the suffering I see in the faces and eyes of all of my children and my husband.

I used to believe that tears were a sign of weakness.  A character flaw that indicated an inability to manage difficult situations. But life has changed me.  I have been asked to face difficulties I never imagined were possible.

And I have wept.

And I know that Jesus has wept with me.

I know this because when my children hurt, I hurt. When my children weep, I weep. I may not do it right then, but later, when I am alone, in the quiet, I weep.

I have learned that tears are not evidence of a character flaw. They are not a sign of weakness. They are a sign of love.  They are a evidence that someone has been allowed into the most private, most vulnerable parts of our souls and we have been changed by that.

Tears can heal. Tears can help others heal. Tears connect us to those we love, they connect us to those that hurt.  Sometimes they connect to those who have hurt us, so that we can forgive and heal.  Sometimes the healing doesn't come in this life.

But this I know, healing will come and tears are almost always part of it.

Blessings,
Meri

Monday, August 7, 2017

Invisible

I do not have cancer (although my mother does and I struggle enough with what that means for her future and the future of our family).  I do not have a terminal illness, at least not one that is going to kill me in the next few months or even years. I am not recovering from a major surgery or terrible accident.



But I am sick. I have what is classified as an "invisible illness".

Every day I struggle to get out of bed, some days it does not happen.  I have to rest after doings "strenuous activities" like taking a shower, working from my laptop, or cooking a small meal.  Every day I struggle with pain and exhaustion, nausea and headaches that just won't let up. Regardless of these struggles and many other symptoms, I don't "look sick" and there is no end in sight...hence the term "chronic".

I think people get tired of hearing about how sick I really am. I usually avoid the rolling eyes and comments like "oh, that again?" or "still?"  by saying "I'm fine". I hide my illness from most casual acquaintances completely. Only a few close friends, family and the 4 people who read this blog know how serious my illness is.

I am not looking for pity. Please don't mistake this for a pity party.

I want to bring awareness to a whole section of society that is generally overlooked. Those of us with invisible illnesses.  Those of us that spend hours every day trying to hide behind masks of smiles and make up.

People tend to step up when help is needed for temporary problems-an acute illness, a hospital stay, a death in the family, etc.  But, rarely do people want to sign up for the long haul, to support those of us who will never get well, who may very well get worse over time. 



Those of us with invisible chronic illnesses need support from friends and family, and so do our caregivers. I know everyone is busy with life and kids and everything that goes along with that, but just keep in mind that every now and then a visit with words of encouragement, a hot meal, or some help with everyday chores means so much to those of us that struggle to get through each day.

Blessings,
Meri

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Loving My Husband

I love my husband.

I know this may seem to be a silly statement considering we have been married almost 17 years, but in this day and age, I feel that it is important to say.

I love my husband.

But recently, I have wondered if he knows how much I love him.  Of course, I say the words (frequently), we certainly do not shy away from intimacy and affection, but what other ways do I show him that I love him.

It's easy, 17 years in, to get bogged down in the mundane of daily life-disciplining children, helping with homework, housework, cooking, grocery store runs, etc.  On top of that, we have had our fair share of medical issues going on in our lives for the past 2 years which can be very isolating and add additional stress to marriage.

So I picked up the book "100 Ways to Love Your Husband" by Lisa Jacobson.  As any other study I own, it is sporadic as to when I read and pray over each method, but here is what I have found so far.



Always choose love-I fail at this more than I would like to admit. I tend to be sensitive when it comes to criticism, especially when it comes from my husband, so in those moments I am not always successful of choosing love.  But the bigger picture is not always in the minute details of day-to-day life.  When the chips are down, he has my back and I have his. We are a team and I will ALWAYS choose love.

Greet him with a loving smile-I work from home and I am terrible about still being on my laptop, working away, when he walks in the door.  Sometimes it is a few minutes and other times a few hours before we finally greet each other with smiles and affection. I clearly have my work cut out for me in improving on this one!

Let the little things go-I read somewhere that most arguments between couples are 10 percent disagreement and 90 percent tone of voice. I need deliverance in both areas!  But there is so much truth in this statement. Most arguments could easily be avoided if we just slowed down (or stopped completely) and tried to see the issue from the other spouse's point of view.

 Work through the big things-I am a talker. I like to hash out problems (and then sometimes rehash them until I get on my own nerves).  My husband is a processor.  He sees a problem, big or small, and he internally works through the possible actions and outcomes, risk assessment, and implementation of a plan.  He is silent and strong.  On this subject, we both seem to need to find a middle ground where I don't feel ignored and he doesn't feel alone in being responsible for fixing every issue that comes our way.

Don't try to change him-This one is easy. I learned this lesson early and feel like this one I have mastered to some extent.  What I have enjoyed is watching us change together over the years.

Pray for him-Not much more to add here. Pray for your husband daily, hourly, even more if you feel he needs it.  There is no tool more powerful for wives that the power of prayer.

Remember he's not your girlfriend-Okay, now we are back in territory I sometimes struggle with. I am not a very trusting person, at least not with my truest emotions. My husband has always been my rock when I needed to visit those raw and painful places.  But, it's not fair to him to be my only source from which I seek advice.  Over the past few years, I have found a wonderful, small group of godly ladies from whom I can seek advice.  I still put too much on my husband sometimes, but it is a work in progress.

But be sure he's your best friend-My mom gave me a great piece of advice when I was first married.  She told me that I should never speak ill about my husband to my girlfriends, it is my job to paint the most positive picture of him at all times. While girlfriends that you trust are vitally important to your marriage and spiritual life, make sure your husband is at the top of the list of friends.  (As a side note, I personally do not think it is a good idea for married women to have male friends that just their own (with some exceptions), it simply gives a foothold for adultery to step in).

Decide in the beginning that you are going to stick together until the very end-This one was pretty easy for me, when I took my vows all those years ago, I viewed them as not just a covenant between my husband and I, but between my Heavenly Father and I.  That being said, it has not been easy every step of the way.  There have been times I have wanted to give up, but we always seem to make it work out through prayer and forgiveness.  Another important note about sticking together as it relates to raising children-it is vitally important that your children understand that the two of you are always on the same page and always present a united front.

Be a wise woman-This was tough for me. I feel like I am anything but wise. I make mistakes-big ones. I can be ruled by my emotions. But the more I thought about this and read about this in my Bible, I realized that I do not have the strength of character to have the wisdom my husband needs, only God has that.  But, I can seek His wisdom at any time and appeal to him in prayer to guide me and my words so that they guide my husband in a manner that glorifies God.

Those are the 10 I have gotten through.  Stay tuned for more and wives, love your husbands!

Blessings,
Meri

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