A writer's life can be very complicated and stressful, in fact; it usually is. With looming deadlines, promotions and family/work/ministry responsibilities, it can become totally overwhelming. Fortunately, God placed several people in my life that understand and give me incredible support ... but the greatest source of support is my husband.
Michael works full-time, Monday through Friday and sometimes on Saturdays. Even with that schedule, he unselfishly picks up the slack on the home front when I'm faced with a deadline, co-leading Rachel's Hope retreats or coordinating something for the Silent No More Awareness Campaign. He also deals with my nocturnal writing habits...seeing me tapping away at the laptop when he goes to bed then still tapping away when he gets up for work at 4 a.m.
Being one that finds self-promoting a tad bit daunting, Michael has picked up the slack in that department too. He plugs my work whenever he gets a chance and also gives me objective, honest critiques. He reads my drafts prior to submission but one in particular worried me ...
And God Still Loves Me - A Journey from the Dark Abyss of Sin to God's Mercy. The book was my story of redemption, and revealed what transpired during what I call the "demon days"... which revealed incidents that might cause him embarrassment. Was he shocked, angry or ask me to remove any of it? No! He gave me a big hug and said nothing I did in the past would change his feelings towards me.
Backing me up is one thing, but it pales in comparison to what he has done for my family. We were both empty-nesters when we married fourteen years ago and enjoyed privacy and freedom ... then my son and his girlfriend needed a place to live while awaiting the birth of their first child. "No problem", Michael said. They lived with us for a year and a half before relocating to Michigan. After a couple of years alone, my son needed some moral support after the death of his father (my ex-husband) and help dealing with some other personal issues. Michael not only provided the necessary resources to fly him to his dad's funeral in Texas but enough to come here and spend time with us to fall back and regroup. It ended up being a two-month visit. A year later, my parents and uncle needed to be closer to family due to their advancing age and health problems. Instead of searching out nearby assisted living facilities, I wanted them to live with us even though I knew it would be a huge responsibility and involve significant adjustments. Michael did not hesitate for a minute....he welcomed them into our home with open arms.
No, it's not Michael's birthday or our anniversary. I was compelled to write this because sometimes I am remiss in letting him know how truly blessed I am to have him as my husband, friend and rock. There is so much more I could write, but to do so would take days. I just wanted to share a few reasons my heart is overflowing with love and gratitude.
