2011. What a bittersweet 365 days. I'm blessed to say that there is at least some sweet with every bitter moment. Let me elaborate:
1.) Bitter: Cancer. Grandpa spent much of 2011 in battle against Multiple Myeloma (cancer in the bloodstream). He and my grandma spent much of their time in Little Rock for treatment. Consequently, they missed out on visiting family and living their "normal" life. Sweet: With the help of our Lord, Grandpa is kicking his cancer in the tail! Although he can never be in true remission, his numbers are low and he is back home and back to work! Thanks to all who have prayed and are still praying and thanks to God-- to Him be the glory forever!
2.) Bitter: Migraines. I made a visit to the Emergency Room this year. I had a terrible migraine and when I finally got the strength to get up and get some food, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Yikes. I called my dad (didn't want to alarm my mom....she tends to get a little worked up) and told him my eye was almost swollen shut and the rest of my face was puffy. My dad hates going to the doctor as much as I do so I figured he would tell me to just sleep it off. No such luck. Dad said to go the ER. I'm a 24 year old, grown woman. I make my own decisions. But don't nobody argue with my daddy. He says go, I go. So I called my boyfriend (husband now) and he picked me up. My uncle met us at the ER and didn't hide his thoughts. I believe the first statement out of his mouth was, "Kaley, you look like a Klingon." My uncle has such a way with words. Sweet: Although the ER wasn't able to provide me with any answers, the doctor did write me a referral to see a neurologist. After moving to Fort Worth and suffering through a few more migraines, I visited one of those fancy headache doctors and was given some pretty strong medicine that, so far, seems to nip it in the bud. Nip it, nip it, nip it!
3.)Bitter: We moved away from our wonderful Fort Smith family. We attended a church that we loved, enjoyed being close to our family, had some truly wonderful friends, and we left. Sweet: We left because God called us to. That is sweet enough in itself. Related to this move is my personal favorite part of 2011-- Clint and I got engaged and married! You can't get much sweeter than Clinton Thomas Johnson. That's not being mushy, that's just fact. Yes, he may be gullible. Yes, I did convince him one time that I had a miniature pony named Freckles. But darn it, that man is sweet.
4.)Bitter: We moved in August and in November I was laid off from my job. My job that paid well. My job that provided benefits. My job that paid for my husband's tuition. I have never been laid off or fired or asked to leave. Let me tell you- It hurts. I was mad, then sad, then offended, then frustrated, then hopeful, then understanding, then optimistic, then pessimistic, then mad, then sad, then offended, then frustrated, then hopeful again. And the cycle continued. Objectively, I totally understand the situation and I understand why the decision was made. Subjectively, I have a bit of a harder time. Regardless of how I felt or feel, I know that God has a plan and that He would provide. Sweet: And provide He has! The day I lost my job is the same day that Clint accepted a part-time job at a church. And this Monday, I start my new job. A job that will cover the bills, a job that I look forward to going to each day, a job that really doesn't seem like much of a "job" at all.
Oh how bittersweet this year has been. I'm thankful for the bitter because it brings some sweet eventually. And I'm sure that the sweet wouldn't be nearly as sweet if we didn't experience a little bit of the bitter. <-- wow. That belongs on a bookmark.
Now for the part that is totally unrelated to the bittersweet theme. Clint and I got a new 4 inch memory foam mattress topper for Christmas!! We're still on a full size mattress and I kid you not I got punched in the back again by my sweet, apparently cage-fighting husband last night. We don't have more room, but at least we have more comfort.
Well that's all for now. 15 minutes until I "clink" imaginary glasses full of imaginary sparkling cider with my husband and then go to bed. I know, I.am.a.wild.child.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Monday, November 7, 2011
Father, help us.
The world seems to be a very sad place lately with news of those around me losing a child, losing a wife, losing a mother, news of kids who won’t hear their sweet mother’s soft voice again, mothers and fathers who won’t be able to cradle their child, husbands whose vision of growing old with their spouse has been snatched away. It’s sad. It’s sudden. It’s severe.
Amidst my transcribing today, I began typing the words that flowed through my headphones—words of great loss, words of great suffering and trial, but also words of hope. The young speaker spoke of the death of his two brothers, mother and father. Over the period of six years, all of his immediate family was gone. As overwhelming and heartbreaking as this was for him to experience, God used it to deepen this man’s relationship with Christ. He has been able to use his somber experiences to share with others and tell them of the Hope, the Rock, the Cornerstone on which they can stand. This is an example that illustrates Romans 8:28-29 so very well. “And we know that all things work together for good to those that love Him and are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.” ALL THINGS. Why? So that we can be conformed to the image of His son. So that we can learn and grow more in our relationship with Christ. Who is ‘we’? ‘We’ are believers. ‘We’ are those that believe God sent His only son to die on a cross for us, carrying the weight of our sin, and rose again three days later conquering death and declaring victory over sin.
Believers, I type all this not to say that the journey through pain will be made easy or that these words are somehow supposed to fill the seemingly ever present whole in one’s heart. I type all this to say that there is hope. I type all this to say that there is purpose. There is PURPOSE. There is a comforter, THE Comforter that will wrap you in His arms. There is a firm foundation, unwavering, firm through the fiercest drought and through the fiercest storm. Stand in the love of Christ, not standing by your own strength, but standing by the strength of Christ, who loves you and gave Himself for you.
I have not experienced any devastating loss in my life as of yet. My fear is that it will come soon and suddenly as it did with those around me. My prayer is that I will reflect Christ, that I will cling to my Savior, that I will stand not because of my own strength but because of His strength. I can’t get through this song without tears and I believe it says it best when it opens with the following: In Christ along my hope is found. He is my light, my strength, my song. This cornerstone, this solid ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm. What heights of love, what depths of peace. When fears are stilled, when strivings cease. My Comforter, my All in All, Here in the love of Christ I stand.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Oh, the things you learn in marriage.
Another month has gone by but this time I don't have anything very eventful to report on. So, I will fill this blog with the little things that may or may not be of any interest to you. Here goes.
Wait. I just got interrupted with Clint saying in an upset tone, "Uh Oh". I look over with concern and he says something so profound and deep, "Carl laid a little turd." And sure enough, there is a little Carl pebble just sitting there on the floor. What's the lesson here? You gotta let the Carl-man linger outside a little bit to make sure he has...umm...rid himself of all he desires. BUT, let's remember Clint is new at this whole dog thing, and I tend to think he is doing quite well.
Okay, back to the little things. Little things. Little things. Take a full size bed for instance. For one person, this may be sufficient. This may be down right comfortable. Ahh, but add another person in the mix and things change quite suddenly. Let me be clear before I go further: I would rather be uncomfortable and lose sleep and sleep in the same bed as my husband than be comfortable, get more sleep and sleep apart from him. But let me tell you-- there are certainly some things to get used to. For instance, I am a mover. Prior to being married, I moved all over that full mattress. Most days I woke up laying diagonal across the bed. It was wonderful. I have now poked Clint in the eye AND hit him in the face. All unintentional, I promise. How do you teach yourself to NOT move while sleeping? To be honest, it was quite comical. In fact, I'm laughing as I type this. He got me back later though. That's right. He was laying on his side and decided to bring up his knees a little and KAPOW! Knee to my hiney. My husband corn-dogged me. Is this too much information for a blog? I don't know. I'll continue.
Then there is the physical process of turning over that can cause sleep disruption. I have learned that my husband doesn't like to TURN over. No. He likes to BOUNCE over. Yep, a little bounce, followed by a bigger bounce, followed by the big "I've bounced high enough to flip to the other side" bounce. It's a mean game of crack the egg is what it is.
And thirdly, there is the silence versus the white noise debate. Clint likes an electric fan on during the night. He thinks the sweet hum is relaxing and perfect to fall asleep to. That little hum has kept me up hours during the night. Why? Why do you need to have noise? What happened to wonderfully sweet silence? What isn't relaxing and calming about that? If you were to walk in to our room right now, you would see ear plugs on my side of the bed. It is a temporary solution....I hope. The permanent solution of course being me getting used to sleeping with another person in my bed, more specifically my husband....and getting a Queen mattress. I so look forward to that day.
Of course there are other things you learn, too. For example, Clint likes to look over my shoulder and read what I'm typing and/or reading. I don't really mind it except it makes it a little difficult for me to concentrate. I'm sure there are things Clint has learned about me too but, well... this isn't his blog so you just get to hear from me. Aaaaand Clint just looked up and chuckled. Why? Because he read the words in the second sentence of this paragraph. I want to ask him if it kills him how well I know him, but I know that can't be true because I'm still learning and will continue to learn about my dear husband for the rest of our lives together. And I suppose that is the way it should be.
Wait. I just got interrupted with Clint saying in an upset tone, "Uh Oh". I look over with concern and he says something so profound and deep, "Carl laid a little turd." And sure enough, there is a little Carl pebble just sitting there on the floor. What's the lesson here? You gotta let the Carl-man linger outside a little bit to make sure he has...umm...rid himself of all he desires. BUT, let's remember Clint is new at this whole dog thing, and I tend to think he is doing quite well.
Okay, back to the little things. Little things. Little things. Take a full size bed for instance. For one person, this may be sufficient. This may be down right comfortable. Ahh, but add another person in the mix and things change quite suddenly. Let me be clear before I go further: I would rather be uncomfortable and lose sleep and sleep in the same bed as my husband than be comfortable, get more sleep and sleep apart from him. But let me tell you-- there are certainly some things to get used to. For instance, I am a mover. Prior to being married, I moved all over that full mattress. Most days I woke up laying diagonal across the bed. It was wonderful. I have now poked Clint in the eye AND hit him in the face. All unintentional, I promise. How do you teach yourself to NOT move while sleeping? To be honest, it was quite comical. In fact, I'm laughing as I type this. He got me back later though. That's right. He was laying on his side and decided to bring up his knees a little and KAPOW! Knee to my hiney. My husband corn-dogged me. Is this too much information for a blog? I don't know. I'll continue.
Then there is the physical process of turning over that can cause sleep disruption. I have learned that my husband doesn't like to TURN over. No. He likes to BOUNCE over. Yep, a little bounce, followed by a bigger bounce, followed by the big "I've bounced high enough to flip to the other side" bounce. It's a mean game of crack the egg is what it is.
And thirdly, there is the silence versus the white noise debate. Clint likes an electric fan on during the night. He thinks the sweet hum is relaxing and perfect to fall asleep to. That little hum has kept me up hours during the night. Why? Why do you need to have noise? What happened to wonderfully sweet silence? What isn't relaxing and calming about that? If you were to walk in to our room right now, you would see ear plugs on my side of the bed. It is a temporary solution....I hope. The permanent solution of course being me getting used to sleeping with another person in my bed, more specifically my husband....and getting a Queen mattress. I so look forward to that day.
Of course there are other things you learn, too. For example, Clint likes to look over my shoulder and read what I'm typing and/or reading. I don't really mind it except it makes it a little difficult for me to concentrate. I'm sure there are things Clint has learned about me too but, well... this isn't his blog so you just get to hear from me. Aaaaand Clint just looked up and chuckled. Why? Because he read the words in the second sentence of this paragraph. I want to ask him if it kills him how well I know him, but I know that can't be true because I'm still learning and will continue to learn about my dear husband for the rest of our lives together. And I suppose that is the way it should be.
Friday, September 16, 2011
A Girl, A Guy, and a Ninety Pound Lab
I'm not entirely sure how to start this blog entry so I'm just going to jump right in and maybe change the intro when I have written the body and conclusion. Or maybe I won't. We'll see.
Life is going by so fast. I can barely keep up it seems. Clint has been taking classes here at Southwestern for about three weeks now. He's doing great. He studies hard and it's paying off. His hardest class is definitely Greek but we both know that once he gains a good understanding of it, it will help so much in interpreting and sharing the Gospel.
Clint has been and continues to be the best husband to me. I've been under the weather for quite some time now and I'm amazed at how well he takes care of me. I mean, he takes care of me pretty well when I'm in good health so when I'm sick it's like "second drink!" <--This is a quote from The Office so if you don't watch that show, just read it as "an added bonus." He also tolerates and is slowly learning to love my wonderfully sweet but horribly flatulent lab, Carl. Seriously, it's bad. Carl can produce smells that literally make your eyes water and your gag reflex trigger. And in a one-bedroom apartment, those smells tend to linger. It has caused many nights of laughter and I'm a little bit thankful for that (the laughter, not the gas). All that to say, Clint is definitely the man for me and God continues to show me that daily whether it be through dog "poots" as my grandpa says or through homemade dinners when I come home from work.
Speaking of work, it seems to be going pretty well so far. I'm meeting new people and learning the ropes. There seems to be things that come up everyday that I don't know how to handle by myself, but I like that. It keeps me on my toes and provides me with challenges in which to grow. Unfortunately, I've had to take two sick days. I HATE calling in sick, especially when starting a new job. I've been getting terrible migraines that occasionally cause my face to swell and now that all of our health insurance is sorted out, it's time to visit the neurologist. Perhaps more than being sick, I HATE going to the doctor. So if you are praying people and have a relationship with Christ, I'd appreciate your prayers. (Yet another reason why Clint is such a great husband-- without him, I probably wouldn't go to the doctor.)
One of the speakers in Chapel spoke on "rejoicing in your thorns." I've been trying to focus on that and tell myself that somehow and in some way, God is going to use these migraines to grow me, make me more compassionate, and that He will in some way open up doors to spread the Gospel. In fact, upon writing this, I believe God is telling me to begin praying that God would send someone my way during my neurologist visit to share Jesus with and that I would be aware of that person. Too often I recognize divine appointments after they have already passed. Thank you, Lord, for being so patient with me.
Clint and I continue to visit local churches. There are so many choices, sometimes the biggest challenge is just picking one. We have one front-runner at the moment but have decided to visit a few other churches before going back to that one. Be prepared! When visiting new churches, some will send people to your house to visit without letting you know ahead of time. I'm not saying don't let them in, I'm saying don't wear sweat pants and a low-cut tank top when they come visit. (Or maybe just teach your husband to wait to open the door until you at least put on a t-shirt. Haha...he knows now!) Also, I just have to say that when our church visitors came, I was honestly praying that Carl wouldn't pass another poot. The dog has absolutely no discretion. None. The good Lord answered my prayer though and Carl kept the silent but deadly intruders at bay.
Ohhh it's all just another day in the life of Clint and Kaley Johnson. The good Lord and a sense of humor is what seems to be carrying us. And that is a-okay by me.
Life is going by so fast. I can barely keep up it seems. Clint has been taking classes here at Southwestern for about three weeks now. He's doing great. He studies hard and it's paying off. His hardest class is definitely Greek but we both know that once he gains a good understanding of it, it will help so much in interpreting and sharing the Gospel.
Clint has been and continues to be the best husband to me. I've been under the weather for quite some time now and I'm amazed at how well he takes care of me. I mean, he takes care of me pretty well when I'm in good health so when I'm sick it's like "second drink!" <--This is a quote from The Office so if you don't watch that show, just read it as "an added bonus." He also tolerates and is slowly learning to love my wonderfully sweet but horribly flatulent lab, Carl. Seriously, it's bad. Carl can produce smells that literally make your eyes water and your gag reflex trigger. And in a one-bedroom apartment, those smells tend to linger. It has caused many nights of laughter and I'm a little bit thankful for that (the laughter, not the gas). All that to say, Clint is definitely the man for me and God continues to show me that daily whether it be through dog "poots" as my grandpa says or through homemade dinners when I come home from work.
Speaking of work, it seems to be going pretty well so far. I'm meeting new people and learning the ropes. There seems to be things that come up everyday that I don't know how to handle by myself, but I like that. It keeps me on my toes and provides me with challenges in which to grow. Unfortunately, I've had to take two sick days. I HATE calling in sick, especially when starting a new job. I've been getting terrible migraines that occasionally cause my face to swell and now that all of our health insurance is sorted out, it's time to visit the neurologist. Perhaps more than being sick, I HATE going to the doctor. So if you are praying people and have a relationship with Christ, I'd appreciate your prayers. (Yet another reason why Clint is such a great husband-- without him, I probably wouldn't go to the doctor.)
One of the speakers in Chapel spoke on "rejoicing in your thorns." I've been trying to focus on that and tell myself that somehow and in some way, God is going to use these migraines to grow me, make me more compassionate, and that He will in some way open up doors to spread the Gospel. In fact, upon writing this, I believe God is telling me to begin praying that God would send someone my way during my neurologist visit to share Jesus with and that I would be aware of that person. Too often I recognize divine appointments after they have already passed. Thank you, Lord, for being so patient with me.
Clint and I continue to visit local churches. There are so many choices, sometimes the biggest challenge is just picking one. We have one front-runner at the moment but have decided to visit a few other churches before going back to that one. Be prepared! When visiting new churches, some will send people to your house to visit without letting you know ahead of time. I'm not saying don't let them in, I'm saying don't wear sweat pants and a low-cut tank top when they come visit. (Or maybe just teach your husband to wait to open the door until you at least put on a t-shirt. Haha...he knows now!) Also, I just have to say that when our church visitors came, I was honestly praying that Carl wouldn't pass another poot. The dog has absolutely no discretion. None. The good Lord answered my prayer though and Carl kept the silent but deadly intruders at bay.
Ohhh it's all just another day in the life of Clint and Kaley Johnson. The good Lord and a sense of humor is what seems to be carrying us. And that is a-okay by me.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Honeymoon Bliss
Well, folks, I've done it. I have started a blog. I feel as though I need to say this right away so that all of you eager readers don't get your hopes up: I was never very good at keeping up with a diary or journal as a kiddo (or as a teenager...or as a "young adult") so I can't guarantee that I'll keep this up either. So just keep your expectations low and you should be okay.
The main purpose of this blog is to keep my family and friends updated on my new life as Mrs. Kaley Johnson. Prior to moving to Fort Worth, this was fairly easy as I could spend as much time on facebook as I wanted (creep,creep, creep!) and had plenty of time to pick up the phone and talk to whomever I wanted pretty much whenever I wanted (But let's be honest, I usually only pick up my personal phone for my momma). I now have a job that keeps me busy and a husband that I share my home with. There.is.no.alone.time. [[For those of you that know me well, you know that I rejoice in my previous statement. There are times when I need my space but those times are few and far between.]] So, all that to say this will be my "newsletter" of sorts to anyone interested in reading.
*Also, please be advised that I am a blunt and open person. If my blog is too much information for you, stop reading.
August 6th, 2011:
I married my best friend Clint Johnson. Our wedding was beautiful. Seriously, everything I hoped it would be and more. If you missed it, feel free to watch it here. After the wedding ceremony and reception, we left for XNA to catch our flight to Dallas and then on to Miami, Florida. When we first arrived at XNA, we were informed that our plane was delayed and there was no way we would make our connecting flight to Miami. But no worries! The airline was kind enough to book us a hotel room at the Quality Inn. Just what I always dreamed of - losing my virginity at the Quality Inn.
After waiting a little longer, we were called to the ticket counter and told that we were in fact going to make our connection! Oh, what a relief that was for me. We boarded our flight and settled in for the short trip to Dallas. Let me just say that it was quite obvious that we had just got married due to my white dress and veil upon my head. I was exhausted so I tried to use that hour to catch a quick cat nap although 30 minutes of it I was just laying there with my eyes closed. While laying there, I heard the flight attendant offer my husband alcohol (on the house) to celebrate. Clint just chuckled and said a coke would be fine. I couldn't help but giggle a little myself. We actually had multiple free offers throughout our flights. I even entertained the idea of wearing my veil on all of my flights for the rest of my life. I mean, "newlywed" is a relative term, right?
We landed in Dallas with a good solid hour before our next flight was scheduled to depart. Things were looking good. We taxied around to our gate and about 10 yards away from our gate, the plane stopped. Five minutes without moving turned in to ten minutes, ten minutes turned in to twenty, and twenty soon became forty-five minutes. With each passing moment on that plane, I could feel what I like to call "bridal rage" growing inside me. The Quality Inn was back in the picture. After a forty-five minutes wait, we sprinted... I don't mean jog, I mean sprinted to our next gate (remember, I'm wearing my veil and dress). I remember one african-american airport janitor yell, "You run, girl! You run!" I appreciated her support and decided maybe I can run even harder. So Clint and I ran harder. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough. We missed our connecting flight by four minutes. Four minutes. 240 seconds.
Disappointment was written all over my face. Random passersby even apologized to the poor bride whose honeymoon plans were crushed (this is overdramatic...I know. Just roll with it.) Fortunately, my wonderful hero-husband stepped up to the ticket counter and told the agent in so many words that the Quality Inn was just not going to happen. Our agent was kind enough to offer up the Marriott. So there I was, sitting outside on a bench in my mother's wedding dress at 10:30pm waiting for the shuttle.
The shuttle arrived and drove us to the hotel where again, my hubby tried to make the best of the circumstances. He explained to the lady at the front desk that we were on our honeymoon and asked if there was anything she could do for us. We soon had our room keys to the Galveston Suite. We could hardly believe our eyes. This suite was sweet! It came complete with bath robes, conference table, king size bed, and of course, a bidet. Looking back, I'm confident God provided us with that bidet. No, we didnt' use it (although I tried really hard to get Clint to) but we so needed that laugh.
We were at the Galveston Suite for only about seven hours (our flight left for Miami at 7am the next morning) but it was a good seven hours. Here's my two cents to the single ladies out there-- men, feel free to skip to the next paragraph. There is no greater tangible gift that you can give your husband than your body, pure and untouched. You are a present, only to be unwrapped by your husband. That's the way God designed it and I can tell you as a married woman, God knows what He's doing.
Our flight the next morning was an early one. While I sat there half asleep waiting to board, I noticed that Clint and I had seat assignments that weren't even close to each other. Yet again, the hubby approached the ticket agent and before long we were sitting in those reclining seats on the airplane waiting for takeoff.
We had a pleasant flight (for me anyway-- I slept through most of it) and landed in the early afternoon. For the next four days we enjoyed Southbeach. Sitting in the sand, wading in the water, visiting the tourist shops, and eating a lot of italian food. The days seemed to fly by and before we knew it, we were flying to our new home in Fort Worth (with much less flight complications I'm happy to say).
In closing, I'd like to point out that I have mentioned several times in this story that my wonderful husband took charge and sorted it out...and he did. And I am so thankful for that. But both Clint and I know that the Lord was watching out for us. He provided. He protected. He spared us from the Quality Inn. Clint and I are blessed beyond measure and my hope with this blog is to share the grace and blesssings that Christ has bestowed upon us so that if you don't see now, you may see in the future what a great God He is.
The main purpose of this blog is to keep my family and friends updated on my new life as Mrs. Kaley Johnson. Prior to moving to Fort Worth, this was fairly easy as I could spend as much time on facebook as I wanted (creep,creep, creep!) and had plenty of time to pick up the phone and talk to whomever I wanted pretty much whenever I wanted (But let's be honest, I usually only pick up my personal phone for my momma). I now have a job that keeps me busy and a husband that I share my home with. There.is.no.alone.time. [[For those of you that know me well, you know that I rejoice in my previous statement. There are times when I need my space but those times are few and far between.]] So, all that to say this will be my "newsletter" of sorts to anyone interested in reading.
*Also, please be advised that I am a blunt and open person. If my blog is too much information for you, stop reading.
August 6th, 2011:
I married my best friend Clint Johnson. Our wedding was beautiful. Seriously, everything I hoped it would be and more. If you missed it, feel free to watch it here. After the wedding ceremony and reception, we left for XNA to catch our flight to Dallas and then on to Miami, Florida. When we first arrived at XNA, we were informed that our plane was delayed and there was no way we would make our connecting flight to Miami. But no worries! The airline was kind enough to book us a hotel room at the Quality Inn. Just what I always dreamed of - losing my virginity at the Quality Inn.
After waiting a little longer, we were called to the ticket counter and told that we were in fact going to make our connection! Oh, what a relief that was for me. We boarded our flight and settled in for the short trip to Dallas. Let me just say that it was quite obvious that we had just got married due to my white dress and veil upon my head. I was exhausted so I tried to use that hour to catch a quick cat nap although 30 minutes of it I was just laying there with my eyes closed. While laying there, I heard the flight attendant offer my husband alcohol (on the house) to celebrate. Clint just chuckled and said a coke would be fine. I couldn't help but giggle a little myself. We actually had multiple free offers throughout our flights. I even entertained the idea of wearing my veil on all of my flights for the rest of my life. I mean, "newlywed" is a relative term, right?
We landed in Dallas with a good solid hour before our next flight was scheduled to depart. Things were looking good. We taxied around to our gate and about 10 yards away from our gate, the plane stopped. Five minutes without moving turned in to ten minutes, ten minutes turned in to twenty, and twenty soon became forty-five minutes. With each passing moment on that plane, I could feel what I like to call "bridal rage" growing inside me. The Quality Inn was back in the picture. After a forty-five minutes wait, we sprinted... I don't mean jog, I mean sprinted to our next gate (remember, I'm wearing my veil and dress). I remember one african-american airport janitor yell, "You run, girl! You run!" I appreciated her support and decided maybe I can run even harder. So Clint and I ran harder. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough. We missed our connecting flight by four minutes. Four minutes. 240 seconds.
Disappointment was written all over my face. Random passersby even apologized to the poor bride whose honeymoon plans were crushed (this is overdramatic...I know. Just roll with it.) Fortunately, my wonderful hero-husband stepped up to the ticket counter and told the agent in so many words that the Quality Inn was just not going to happen. Our agent was kind enough to offer up the Marriott. So there I was, sitting outside on a bench in my mother's wedding dress at 10:30pm waiting for the shuttle.
The shuttle arrived and drove us to the hotel where again, my hubby tried to make the best of the circumstances. He explained to the lady at the front desk that we were on our honeymoon and asked if there was anything she could do for us. We soon had our room keys to the Galveston Suite. We could hardly believe our eyes. This suite was sweet! It came complete with bath robes, conference table, king size bed, and of course, a bidet. Looking back, I'm confident God provided us with that bidet. No, we didnt' use it (although I tried really hard to get Clint to) but we so needed that laugh.
We were at the Galveston Suite for only about seven hours (our flight left for Miami at 7am the next morning) but it was a good seven hours. Here's my two cents to the single ladies out there-- men, feel free to skip to the next paragraph. There is no greater tangible gift that you can give your husband than your body, pure and untouched. You are a present, only to be unwrapped by your husband. That's the way God designed it and I can tell you as a married woman, God knows what He's doing.
Our flight the next morning was an early one. While I sat there half asleep waiting to board, I noticed that Clint and I had seat assignments that weren't even close to each other. Yet again, the hubby approached the ticket agent and before long we were sitting in those reclining seats on the airplane waiting for takeoff.
We had a pleasant flight (for me anyway-- I slept through most of it) and landed in the early afternoon. For the next four days we enjoyed Southbeach. Sitting in the sand, wading in the water, visiting the tourist shops, and eating a lot of italian food. The days seemed to fly by and before we knew it, we were flying to our new home in Fort Worth (with much less flight complications I'm happy to say).
In closing, I'd like to point out that I have mentioned several times in this story that my wonderful husband took charge and sorted it out...and he did. And I am so thankful for that. But both Clint and I know that the Lord was watching out for us. He provided. He protected. He spared us from the Quality Inn. Clint and I are blessed beyond measure and my hope with this blog is to share the grace and blesssings that Christ has bestowed upon us so that if you don't see now, you may see in the future what a great God He is.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)