A Grateful Heart and Self-Control

Life, especially this military life my husband and I live, throws us curveballs constantly. God likes to keep us on our toes and sometimes plans don't go our way. 

For example, my husband's phone got turned off by the cell phone company, leaving me with no way to contact him because his computer was dead and the charger was in my car. We went in before deployment, setting a date for them to hold his number. We realized we needed a little more time to get our ducks in a row and tried several times to stop his phone being turned off, but nonetheless, it happened. When we tried to get his phone turned back on, the company's whole system was down. Did I get frustrated at first? Yes. Do I realize this is a spoiled problem to have during a deployment? Yes. A lot of spouses get to talk to their service member very very sparingly during a deployment.

It would be so easy to get angry about these inconvenient little plan changes. You know that angry, bitter feeling where all your insides just seem to be in knots? We have to fight that. I know I do. and I feel so much better when I let those things go. 

1 Thessalonians 5:18 teaches us to "give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." Keeping a grateful heart is so important. It allows us to see more clearly and hold on to that self-control that God instructs us to have. 

I love watching 19 Kids and Counting and I think Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar's example of self-control is something everyone can learn from. In an old episode I caught the other day, their area in Arkansas was hit by a devastating ice storm. When Jim Bob was outside assessing the damage, he acknowledged that the children were watching to see what his reaction was going to be. His display of self-control was crucial in keeping his family calm and secure, but also thinking through a solution for the problem. Michelle's patience and self-control in raising so many little ones always inspires me. It is something I hope to come close to (even remotely on the same spectrum would be glorious) when I have our own little one. 

Displaying these characteristics takes a lifetime of learning and adjusting, but our God is a loving and merciful God. He knows we make mistakes, and is waiting with open arms to grant us forgiveness. The sooner we learn that fact, the more at peace we will be. 

Have a blessed week! 

Lots of love,

Em