lessons from bloggers & drug-doers

{ Lesson #1 - from the blogger }

recently, i was super-convicted while stumbling upon this blog post (found it via Pinterest).  it was about "10 ways to love your husband" ----- and the one that really had the Holy Spirit tapping on my heart was #8: "let him win an argument. be the first to back down." 

wow.  i SO need to hear this.  like every day.  

sometimes i'm a liiiittle bit monica-gellerish: i love to win. and i love to win in arguments.  sometimes at the expense of others.  AHH i'm ashamed.  but it's true.  :(

so this woman's nugget about backing down from an argument really helped me take a step back and evaluate my words, actions, motivations, and above all..... how i'm paying attention to the Spirit's presence in my life on a day-to-day basis-- and whether or not i'm choosing to ignore Him or pay attention.

i love my husband and want to show him  r * e * s * p * e * c * t.  

like aretha franklin style.  actually no, better than that, ephesians-5 style.

after sharing my recent convictions & musings with my sweet husband, he shared with me a story from the hospital.  

{ lesson #2 - from the drug-doer (God bless him) }

dr. bud said, "ella that reminds me of a patient i've taken care of who is a drug addict. this person is addicted to heroin and his arm is all torn up. i had to see this patient to change his bandage over his drug-using-inflicted wounds, and he was really sensitive about removing the bandage.  he was, frankly, being kind of a baby and whining, complaining, and yelling at me to leave him alone and not touch his arm.  i tried to calmly tell him that cleaning his wound and putting on a new dressing would help him, and that i had to do it, but he just freaked out and didn't want me to touch him.  it dawned on me, that i think Jesus does this with me all the time.  He wants to help me and clean my wounds--- but i fuss and make a big deal and say "don't touch me!!!"  the Lord is patient with me, and only wants to "hurt" me and cause me momentary affliction, which feels like the end of the world----- but it's really for my ultimate good."

a reminder from my sweet doctor-husband about how the Lord is our Ultimate Physician--- who wants to clean our wounds - even though it hurts for a little bit! -- for our GOOD.  so we can be clean. and whole. and healed.

oh Lord, let me love my husband enough to "back down first" from arguments--- AND let me not fight with You when You try to clean my wounds and heal me!!

i was checking out old high school year books tonight, 
and i couldn't help but add a picture in from my freshman year.  
(look at those skinny legs on my 15-year-old self!)  haha.  
 can't believe we've been friends for over a decade. :)  
so fun that this dear friend turned out to be my husband!