Thank Goodness

As a kid, I remember praying for my future spouse.  Some chapel speaker at school said it would be a good idea to start praying for the person who we’d spend the rest of our life with since they very well may be the one person on earth who has the greatest impact on our life.  So, yeah, I figured he might have a valid point there.  And I ever so eloquently started dutifully praying things like, ”Hey God, if I have to get married, can you please make him like a really nice guy who is ridiculously cute?  I don’t want to marry a jerk and be miserable the rest of my life.  If he could just be nice and cute, that would be awesome. And can he also be a Christian because that would be helpful too.”  I obviously knew EXACTLY what I wanted (and had incredibly high standards)!

I am thrilled to report that God heard my schoolgirl prayers, but thankfully He primarily heard the private, hidden cries of my heart.  You know those deep seeded concerns, fears, and feelings that we don’t often share.  Turns out that He already knows those pretty well. He certainly knew significantly better than I precisely what I needed, wanted, and would like.  I often thank Him for giving me a way better husband than I ever prayed for.

There are so many times during the day when I think, “Hey God?  DUDE, thank You so much for thinking of THAT because I didn’t realize that would have been good to ask for!”  I mean, I NEVER touch the thermostat in the house because Caleb always takes care of it.  I rarely get babysitters for when I’m doing a Cooking Show because Caleb either has Boys Only Night or sets up a sitter. I NEVER take out the trash because Caleb always takes care of it.  He was actually just out of town for a week, and while he was gone I kept walking into the kitchen wondering WHAT in the WORLD that stank was!  Taking out the trash just isn’t even on my radar.  It never even draws my attention because it is always taken care of. So, YES, I had to take the putrid trash out. 


Caleb just puts his emotions into actions.  I’ll never forget when Jackson was a month or two old, and he woke up crying.  I was exhausted and couldn’t really move or roust myself out of bed.  I felt Caleb stirring, and thought to myself, “Get up! Caleb needs to sleep because he’s gotta go to work tomorrow.”  So, as I was getting out of bed, I realized Caleb was already out of bed and I felt bad.  So, I said, “I’m sorry!  I’m sorry!  I’m getting up.  I’m going.”  And, the lights flipped on!  I thought I was gonna be blinded for LIFE!  Caleb had his hands on his hips and was squared off looking at me; I was “in trouble”.  So, I kept saying, “I’m sorry!  I’m going”.  He slowly shook his head at me and said, “Why are you apologizing?!  And, why are you getting out of bed?!”  Completely confused, three-quarters asleep, and probably slurring my words, I stuttered, “Well, I hear him.  And, I’m sorry that I…”  And that’s when he cut me off and informed me, “Ya know, you can’t hog him.  He’s mine too!  I want to take care of him when I’m home.  You get him ALL DAY.   You can’t keep him all to yourself.  So, I get the night shift and the morning shift.  You sleep!” And off he went to care for Jackson.  As I snuggled back under the covers, I was so confused.  I knew that I wasn’t completely awake, but I also was fairly sure that I just got “in trouble” for not sharing.  I remember going back to sleep thinking, “God, mega props to You because I definitely didn’t pray for that!”

Thank goodness, God gave me a way better husband than I prayed for.  Whew!