Reason #349
Funny, the things we worry about. We spend unnecessary amounts of time in stress and anxiety only to eventually find out that we had nothing to worry about in the first place. Tonight, I'm going to write a really candid blog. No cryptic language tonight. No guessing what I may or may not be trying to say. Tonight I want to share with you how God has answered another prayer request of mine and taken away one of my biggest worries.
Family is important. At least to me, it is. I have a really close family. Not only close in relationship but close in proximity. We spend a lot of time together, and so family is a priority to me. The nice thing about family is they are always there. A constant. And my relationship with my family has deepend immensley over the past year and a half. They have been my biggest support system, my strongest prayer warriors, and my number one supporters. They have cried with me and cheered me on. And now, we have the joy of celebrating together. We are getting to celebrate what God has done not only for me, but how He has answered all of our prayers. And so, one of my biggest worries about picking up and moving forward with life was whether or not I would ever be accepted into another family.
The skeptic in me never gives me the benefit of the doubt. For some unfortunate reason, I expect the worse for myself. I just knew that I would meet a wonderful guy and then have to work my tail off trying my best to win over his family. Of course, this was never a worry of mine before but circumstances bring new fears into our lives and so this was one of my biggest concerns. I figured any parent would be quick to convince their son to think really long and hard before dating me. And, more than that, I was really terrified that I would have to be the one to awkwardly bring up my story only to be met with disappointed faces and disapproving mindsets. After all, parents only want what's best for their children so I didn't blame them. I figured I'd probably do the same were it my kid. Because I had in my mind what this guy, who ever he ended up being, deserved. So I began to really pray about this because families are influential. Wise children should heed Godly advice from their parents. How was I going to convice Godly parents that I was worthy of their son? And if I were, by some chance, able to win approval and acceptance, I prayed that I would just have a good relationship with this potential family.
For those of you who have in-laws, you know that combining families can present a challenge. And, for those of you who have in-laws that live in the same town, you know that this can be tricky. After all, how many jokes are there about mother-in-laws? And, in the movies, are the in-laws ever painted in a positive light? You know what I'm talking about. Even if you have yet to merge into a new family, think about your own family. Joining two seperate forces can be a real challenge. Children love their parents and parents love their children. The last thing I wanted was to be pulled away from my family, and I sure didn't want to do that to anyone else. I just hoped that somehow, someway, this perfect scenario would work out to where my family would love him, his family would love me, and we could all be one, big happy family. But this isn't a perfect world, and I highly doubted this was a possibility.
Aaron and I had been dating for a few weeks before he met my parents. Of course, it didn't take them long to like him. In fact, I had already won them over for him before they met him. I really wasn't concerned about that because he's quite likeable and easy to love (as my Grandmother pointed out). But the time came for me to meet his family. I do good with families. Families have never intimidated me, but this time I was a nervous wreck. And so our first Davis family dinner was scheduled and it was wonderful! It took me about .2 seconds to fall in love with his parents. We walked into the house and his mother hugged me as if she had spent every day with me, and I knew from that moment we were going to be just fine. We spent the evening laughing and sharing stories, and I went home amazed at how well it went.
Well, as with pretty much everything, I spent too much time worrying about nothing. Because never once did I have to awkwardly sit and share my story with his parents. In fact, they knew all about it before they even met me. I was never met with disapproving looks or skepticism. No, they literally acccepted me with opened arms. They got to know me for me, not for what I had been through. They never questioned me or made me feel unwelcomed. No, from day one I felt loved and accepted, and I couldn't be more grateful for that.
Tonight, I got to spend the evening with my mother-in-law-to-be. Such a sweet spirit! So Godly and beautiful on the inside and out. Same goes for my father-in-law-to-be, too. Two people who love God and it's obvious. Warm and welcoming individuals who have been so kind to give me the benefit of the doubt. Who have invested in me, taken the time to get to know me, and loved me for me. And so, it's not a perfect world, but we serve a God who is so much bigger than all of our worries. One who will work things out for our good every single time. He hears our prayers and He does answer them. They were so sweet to spend Christmas with my family this year, and the nice thing about this new arrangement is they are all my family, now. Anyhow, my Grandmother made the comment that they were both jewels. I couldn't agree more.
And so I thank God for always doing the impossible... or at least what I think is impossible. But that's just how He works, isn't it? He's a God who can overcome any obstacle, and He will if we'll just place it in His hands and trust Him. He knows just what we need and how to accomplish it. And so I'm grateful for this new family that I'm a part of. I'm grateful that God has now blessed me with two incredible families full of love, support and encouragment. Families who are fun to be around, who love the Lord with all their hearts, who strive to honor Him in all they do, and who have brought such joy to my life. Family is important. Family is valuable. Family is a blessing, and I'm so grateful to have all of my sweet blessings near by!
#349 - Because He has added such sweet blessings to my family!
"From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another." - John 1:16
Family is important. At least to me, it is. I have a really close family. Not only close in relationship but close in proximity. We spend a lot of time together, and so family is a priority to me. The nice thing about family is they are always there. A constant. And my relationship with my family has deepend immensley over the past year and a half. They have been my biggest support system, my strongest prayer warriors, and my number one supporters. They have cried with me and cheered me on. And now, we have the joy of celebrating together. We are getting to celebrate what God has done not only for me, but how He has answered all of our prayers. And so, one of my biggest worries about picking up and moving forward with life was whether or not I would ever be accepted into another family.
The skeptic in me never gives me the benefit of the doubt. For some unfortunate reason, I expect the worse for myself. I just knew that I would meet a wonderful guy and then have to work my tail off trying my best to win over his family. Of course, this was never a worry of mine before but circumstances bring new fears into our lives and so this was one of my biggest concerns. I figured any parent would be quick to convince their son to think really long and hard before dating me. And, more than that, I was really terrified that I would have to be the one to awkwardly bring up my story only to be met with disappointed faces and disapproving mindsets. After all, parents only want what's best for their children so I didn't blame them. I figured I'd probably do the same were it my kid. Because I had in my mind what this guy, who ever he ended up being, deserved. So I began to really pray about this because families are influential. Wise children should heed Godly advice from their parents. How was I going to convice Godly parents that I was worthy of their son? And if I were, by some chance, able to win approval and acceptance, I prayed that I would just have a good relationship with this potential family.
For those of you who have in-laws, you know that combining families can present a challenge. And, for those of you who have in-laws that live in the same town, you know that this can be tricky. After all, how many jokes are there about mother-in-laws? And, in the movies, are the in-laws ever painted in a positive light? You know what I'm talking about. Even if you have yet to merge into a new family, think about your own family. Joining two seperate forces can be a real challenge. Children love their parents and parents love their children. The last thing I wanted was to be pulled away from my family, and I sure didn't want to do that to anyone else. I just hoped that somehow, someway, this perfect scenario would work out to where my family would love him, his family would love me, and we could all be one, big happy family. But this isn't a perfect world, and I highly doubted this was a possibility.
Aaron and I had been dating for a few weeks before he met my parents. Of course, it didn't take them long to like him. In fact, I had already won them over for him before they met him. I really wasn't concerned about that because he's quite likeable and easy to love (as my Grandmother pointed out). But the time came for me to meet his family. I do good with families. Families have never intimidated me, but this time I was a nervous wreck. And so our first Davis family dinner was scheduled and it was wonderful! It took me about .2 seconds to fall in love with his parents. We walked into the house and his mother hugged me as if she had spent every day with me, and I knew from that moment we were going to be just fine. We spent the evening laughing and sharing stories, and I went home amazed at how well it went.
Well, as with pretty much everything, I spent too much time worrying about nothing. Because never once did I have to awkwardly sit and share my story with his parents. In fact, they knew all about it before they even met me. I was never met with disapproving looks or skepticism. No, they literally acccepted me with opened arms. They got to know me for me, not for what I had been through. They never questioned me or made me feel unwelcomed. No, from day one I felt loved and accepted, and I couldn't be more grateful for that.
Tonight, I got to spend the evening with my mother-in-law-to-be. Such a sweet spirit! So Godly and beautiful on the inside and out. Same goes for my father-in-law-to-be, too. Two people who love God and it's obvious. Warm and welcoming individuals who have been so kind to give me the benefit of the doubt. Who have invested in me, taken the time to get to know me, and loved me for me. And so, it's not a perfect world, but we serve a God who is so much bigger than all of our worries. One who will work things out for our good every single time. He hears our prayers and He does answer them. They were so sweet to spend Christmas with my family this year, and the nice thing about this new arrangement is they are all my family, now. Anyhow, my Grandmother made the comment that they were both jewels. I couldn't agree more.
And so I thank God for always doing the impossible... or at least what I think is impossible. But that's just how He works, isn't it? He's a God who can overcome any obstacle, and He will if we'll just place it in His hands and trust Him. He knows just what we need and how to accomplish it. And so I'm grateful for this new family that I'm a part of. I'm grateful that God has now blessed me with two incredible families full of love, support and encouragment. Families who are fun to be around, who love the Lord with all their hearts, who strive to honor Him in all they do, and who have brought such joy to my life. Family is important. Family is valuable. Family is a blessing, and I'm so grateful to have all of my sweet blessings near by!
#349 - Because He has added such sweet blessings to my family!
"From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another." - John 1:16