Apron Strings

When D and I decided to build a patio cover for our backyard this summer we decided the best way to save the money for it would be for D to work weekends all through April. We knew it would be difficult, and a sacrifice, but we were willing to weather it for the sake of a fantastic new backyard. Well, then I read Crazy Love and I started to feel guilty about spending so much money on something so totally frivolous. I didn't want to feel guilty about it so rather than praying it through I just chalked it up to some unintentional backlash from the book. I didn't mention it to D either, because I really really wanted the project to come through. Well, some days later D turns to me in the office and says "Honey, I want you to pray and ask God if he wants us to use this extra money for the patio cover." That's all I needed to hear. I told him about the check in my spirit about going through with the project and it was confirmed for both of us that we would shelve the patio cover and save the money.

This book. Oh, this book. It has changed so many things for us since we've read it. Our communication about spiritual things has been blown wide open. We're being honest with each other about the things that God has been revealing to us, and it's so comforting for me to hear how the Holy Spirit has been working in D. I get excited to hear from God now, I expect the Holy Spirit to show up in a way I never did before. And it feels so good to have something more to work toward than just the day to day.

D is still working weekends in April and some in May so I've decided that I'm going to do my part as well. I can encourage him as much as I can and pray for him, but I can also do all I can do around the house during these times he's gone. Working outside to beautify the yard or doing (free) improvement projects around the house help me feel like I'm working alongside D. Today my chutzpa led me to prune all the palms, weed the flower bed, and fine tune the sprinklers which was a much more involved project than I thought it would be and left me soaked to the bone and freezing cold. Nothing a hot bath couldn't fix though.

Now I'm warm, clean, and I just met the new neighbors! More on that next time.