As I write this, I’m listening to the snap and sizzle of corn popping on my stove. Yep, the old-fashioned kind, not that yucky microwave stuff that leaves half the bag unpopped. And I’m trying to figure out what in the crunch I’m going to write about this week, since my article is due in about . . . two hours.
I could write about the new grass I just laid in my yard. Or about my son’s basketball team, which consists entirely of sixth graders, yet plays in a league of sixth, seventh and eighth graders, and how no matter who they play, they feel like they’re in the land of the giants. Or I could write about cleaning out my mom’s flowerbeds last weekend, in the rain. That was pretty fun.
These are the topics that go through my mind as I brainstorm, yet none can overcome the storm that’s going on in my brain. Why is it I always share with you, my readers and friends, the stuff on the surface of my life? Seldom do I let you see what lies beneath.
Well, okay. I’m going to put on my figurative bathing suit and take the plunge, even though I may regret it.
As those of you who know me personally are already aware of, I’m now divorced. For a year now, I’ve officially been a single woman. And just in case you haven’t experienced divorce, let me just say, it stinks worse than a hamper full of moldy gym socks.
I once thought I’d rather go through just about anything than divorce, even death. The d-word just wasn’t said in my family. Mom and Dad were married for 52 years. “I do’s” were meant to be for better or for worse, no questions asked. So when my own marriage failed, I was embarrassed and ashamed.
But have you noticed it’s often in the worst of times that God makes His presence known? Many times, it’s through those same circumstances that He chooses to bring healing. Although I must admit, I’d rather just have the “Zap! You’re healed” kind of healing than the “Oh, here, let me cut this basketball-sized tumor out” kind of healing.
In the last year, my spirit has gone from huddled and droopy-winged to majestic and regal as I’ve conquered obstacles I wasn’t sure I was capable of conquering. I’ve managed to pay my mortgage every month, all by myself. I painted my house, bought a car, wrecked it, bought another car, and . . . here’s the biggie . . . I did my own taxes.
Oh, yeah.
But it’s not just my spirit that’s gotten healthier. My relationship with my ex-husband has become something I can’t quite explain. He’s now . . . a cherished friend, and we share a deep love for our children. Oh, don’t get me wrong. We’re not going to remarry. But God is all about relationships, and He has a way of repairing even the most damaged associations.
God has brought me through the storms, to a place of peace and rest. He’s taken broken things and made them whole. I’m sure I’ll experience more storms and more broken places in my life; they’re inevitable. But I know now, more than ever, that He is with me in the tempests and squalls. And considering He commands the climate, I know He’ll steer me safely through life’s hurricanes. And since He’s the great Physician, I know He will always carry me to a place of serenity and strength.
“And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm,” Mark 4:39.
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