My husband Mark worked in North Dakota for a couple of years beginning in 2012.  He and his friend were insulating frack tanks in the oil fields. It was a challenge not being together and of course I wanted him home for Christmas.  For years we had our big Christmas celebration for our extended families at our shop.  We called it, “The Christmas Adam,” because it was the day before Christmas Eve.  However, this particular year was iffy because Mark was gone most of December.

From the journal .  .  . . December 2013  

Jesus, thank you for being active in my life.  I was kind of disappointed about the shop (we canceled the party) but feeling so good about it now. I’m relieved.  I love You.  Mark is doing well.  He thinks they may finish on Thursday.  What he does today is critical for him to make that happen.  Please help.  Lord, You are so faithful.  I think him being able to come home is a miracle.  It looked so, so, bleak.  What are you teaching Mark in this, I wonder.  And me?

And I Believe God Said:

To always trust Me.  You belong to Me.  This season in your life adds to your history of belonging to Me.   Mark has drawn closer to Me, apart from you.  He needs and wants your encouragement, but he needs to know Me as his anchor.  I am the strong shelter.  You can relax and just love him.  I am who he needs to depend on.

Ecc3:1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: NIV
Psalm 9:9 The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.NIV.
James 1:2-4. ² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  NIV

Many of us wives tend to think our husbands’ relationship with God is our responsibility, or at least our business. My experience has been God telling me to leave it alone, sometimes in no uncertain terms.  Yikes.  

Pray – yes. Encourage – yes.  Support – yes.  But it’s not in our job description to manage or direct. We leave that to the Holy Spirit.  It’s better that way!

After finishing this I couldn’t get the sentence out of my mind. This season in your life adds to your history of belonging to Me. It occurs to me that everything we go through adds to the history of our life with the Lord. It is part of our testimony of Him. These troubles or joys we go through right now will soon be part of our history. Just something I was thinking about.