Refined in the fire.

I am told God doesn't give us more than we can handle.
I am told when God brings us to it, He will bring us through it.
I am told that for every obstacle conquered, the obstacles will progressively get more difficult but the reward will also increase.

So far in my life these words have been true. The things that I saw as insurmountable in the past, now look like easy tasks compared to life that lies ahead.

Tonight is the first night that I haven't spoken to Andrea since she left for basic training 1 week ago today. And it's ironic that today is the first day I am struggling with life without her here with me. You must understand that she completes me. She is absolutely everything I am not. She grounds me and keeps me from getting into too much trouble. We are also as different as night and day. But a better analogy could be like "a lighter and gasoline". Our marriage has been a challenge to say the least. 6 months into it I was handed divorce papers. Another time we were technical difficulties away from seperating. We are both pretty stubborn, but I must say that the years have taught us how to bend and be willing to be selfless instead of selfish. Kinda like how Andrea is being selfless to serve our country in order to defend it and be able to offer our children more to life than we had.

Some may not agree with this, but thankfully it has become something my wife and I are trying really hard to keep in mind is that divorce is not an option. We made a commitment to stay married. No matter what. It's been hard to keep that up "all" the time as far as the thought entering our minds, but I think that we have come to the point that we know God is using her and I as a couple to do something. By no means are we naive and believe in settling, and that to me is what has made our journey so fun. I think we try to make it a priority to teach our children humility by seeing us admit when we are wrong. But it's usually me apologizing more. She is such a patient woman to deal with me.

Writing tonight has served it's purpose. It allowed me to regain my focus and remember that the sacrifice I am making is nothing compared to what my wife is doing. But more importantly the sacrifice that God made for us by allowing Jesus to carry our burdens when He died on that cross. I am so thankful that I have faith in a God who brings me not only to things but through them. A God who carries me when I am not able to do it.

Life is only going to be here for a moment. I know that I only have a short time to leave my impact on this world. Wether it be just from raising my boys, or whatever else God wants to bring me to. I am committed to my wife and trusting that God knows what He is doing. I have been a participant in too many of His victorious battles to not be able to recognize that He is doing something now for Andrea and I that we couldn't grasp the magnitude of His plans for us.