First I have to say a huge "Thank you" to our troops and their families currently serving! My prayers and heart go out to you. You are the backbone of this country. God bless you all and the USA!
I haven’t been addicted to a weekly show since “Dallas”. That pretty much dates me, I’m sure. But have you seen the show “Army Wives” that comes on Lifetime on Sunday evenings? I love it.
It takes me back to the days of being an Army wife and the protocol that went along with the territory. Since I’ve been watching that show opportunities have come up for me to speak and write on some of my experiences. Looking back on my years as an Army Officer’s Wife, I don’t know whether to cringe or laugh hysterically. I find myself doing a little of both, as well as thanking God that my hubby didn’t walk out on me in his frustration.
Just to give you an idea of what God was working with when He began to make me over here are a few snapshots. It’s not pretty. It all screams bad attitude!
- getting so many tickets in Germany that the Commander threatened to take my husbands license away (who ever heard of such?)
- bribing the German politzie not to give me a ticket so the Commander wouldn’t take my husbands license away (bribing the law?)
- answering others with “I don’t have to do that, I didn’t sign the line to be in the military.” (ATTITUDE)
- meeting another Commander and having hubby squeeze my hand so hard so I wouldn’t say anything because he had reprimanded my husband for not following “proper” protocol to save five people who’s boat had sunk in the worse storm of the century in 1993 (didn't he need to hear what I had to say about his attitude)
- failing to stop on base and sign in visitors (ok – just stupidity)
- being pulled over on base by four patrol cars for not signing in visitors (embarrassing the children who were in the car)
- having guns drawn on me for the obvious stated events (back to bribing?)
- you get the picture . . .
There is something encouraging about looking back at years gone by. You see the growth and changes you’ve made. You see the bad attitudes that have softened, the stubborn issues you’ve let die and wild hearts that have been mellowed. I was and am a mess. Thankfully, God is still working on me.
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV
I am being made over each and every day. I’m so thankful for that, but I'm amazed that I’m more apt to become a new creation when my old self is exposed in public. ha
OK - the cross didn't start out as much. But you'll love it by the end. The team wrote their prayers for the weekend on the back of tiles. (you can barely see them they are in pencil) I took the tiles and broke them into smaller pieces to build the cross. The tiles symbolize us: we are broken, different, a little rough around the edges and fragile.
Hubby built the wooden base. The wooden cross is Jesus as He is our foundation and every so sturdy. He is the one who holds us up continually.
I then plastered all the tiles onto the wooden base. Each tile special and unique. Each tile not much on its own, but together they form something beautiful.
Hubby begins to put the grout in. It's hard work to get the grout where it needs to be - in every crook and crevice. The grout is Jesus' blood and grace. Just as with building this cross, it is hard sometimes to let Jesus fill us to the very core. We fight it, don't we? And we begin to look like a big mess. But once we let Jesus in to our heart and soul we begin to be something new and beauitful.
I will post the finished cross soon. It is gorgeous! Something beautiful from the inside out.
I had a horrible dream last night. I normally don’t dream, so why a bad one? I would have much rather have had a happily-ever-after dream.
I met a friend last night at Macaroni Grill for supper. We had met with the intentions of visiting about women’s ministry. Four hours later the restaurant was closing and we were the last to leave. I couldn’t believe those four hours had gone so fast.
