I’m Blessed

I think sometimes we hold back from acknowledging how good we have it because we understand not everyone has what we have.  It’s kind of like bragging.  Bragging, I think is different because it comes with the intent to make someone else feel bad.

As women, I think it’s really easy to start complaining about our husbands, the chores, the kids, and how we just want to escape.  We shy away from sharing blessings because we don’t want to rub other’s noses in how good we have it.  I firmly believe, that everyone is blessed.  We do not always have the same blessings, because God knows exactly what we need, and what will speak to our hearts.

This week, I want to share about the husband that God has given me.  He takes care of me.  For instance, he’s been bugging me to get some new clothes.  I have plenty of “work clothes” that I wear when I’m “at work” (the garden, the laundry room, the kitchen, etc.).  However, I’m pretty low on clothes that fit me for when we leave our little sanctuary and go places.

Since the process of growing, giving birth, and feeding 4 children has been an evolutionary journey for my body, it’s difficult to always find clothes that fit.  The last few times we’ve gone places as a family, Knut finds me staring into the closet with a quivering lip because nothing fits, and if it does fit, I don’t have anything to match it that’s clean.  Then there’s clothes that I can fit into, but are not jiving with nursing a little baby on the go, or clothes that a little baby can pull and tug in inmodest ways very easily.

Shopping for myself has turned into something that gets done on a whim with 4 kids in tow at Target as I grab clothes, try them on at home, return the ones that don’t fit, etc.  That, and hand-me-downs from friends that I make work.  (I love hand-me-downs!)  I’ve been meaning to make myself some clothes, and bought fabric, but sewing time is hard to come by these days.  If I spent a fraction of the time I spend shopping and sewing for the kids and do something for me, it wouldn’t be an issue.

So I casually mentioned to Knut as we were passing our favorite little restaurant in town that I’d like him to take me there in one of our next dates.  Within a matter of hours, he has called a sitter (Grandma), set a date, and said “We’re going to take you shopping too.  You need some clothes.”

So on our date, we headed to some stores, and he started handing me clothes on the way back to the changing rooms.

I’m normally the one to like shopping, but it hasn’t been fun lately because of my 4 tagalongs, and the fact that nothing seems to fit me right anymore.  I’m too short.  I’m too skinny like a 12 year old but with hips of someone who has given birth 4 times.  The junior stores have things that are too long.  The little girl section won’t button around my hips, and the petite section is too wide.

Knut made it fun, though.  He kept picking things out and actually gave me his opinion on every shirt, and every pair of shorts…the 2 things on our list.  There was no “whatever” attitude.  He answered honestly if something washed me out, or didn’t look right.  I ended up with 3 new shirts and 2 new pairs of shorts…and they all fit.

It was like Christmas…but with just Knut and me.

Knut seemed to love it too, which was funny to me because he hates shopping.  He told me years ago that he hated window shopping with me because he felt like he wanted to say “yes, let me get this for you since you like it” and had to hold back for hours.  He said it was a lot of fun to find something that made me happy and was able to say, “Let me get this for you.”

God has given me a husband who loves to provide.  He’s such a hard worker, and that in my mind is more important than any amount of money.  He loves his work, and he loves to see how the fruits of his work bless others. 

We then went to our little eating spot, and enjoyed lunch together.  I’m so blessed.

How have you been blessed this last week?  Please leave a link to your “I’m Blessed” post, and/or leave a comment to share your blessings.