Thankful Thursday ~ My Beloved's Kindness

Thankful today for My Beloved's kindness and care for my parents and sister. It was his decision to move here so we could be of help to them. I am the eyes and ears; he is often the hands. He put up additional shelves in my sister's closet today, which she was very glad about. Last week he helped my dad cut a couple of branches from a maple tree that Dad was concerned about being too close to their house. But we must also be attentive to what they feel they can tend to themselves. Later in the day when I brought my mother and sister home from shopping, my 90-year-old dad had been on a ladder sawing off more branches from that tree! Oh, me!!

O Lord that lends me life,

Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness!

~ William Shakespeare

Thankful Thursday ~ My Beloved

Expressing gratitude too often lies silent in the heart. As Thanksgiving approaches, I'm taking Thursdays to offer a word of thankfulness for specific blessings that God has bestowed in my life.

Today I've been thinking how much I appreciate My Beloved. There are a myriad of reasons, but something I heard someone say this morning made gratitude for him bubble up. The lady commented that "when a man retires, his work is done; but when a woman retires, she still has work to do." Perhaps her hubby leaves all the inside and outside work to her, all the business details, all the grocery shopping, etc. etc., but I doubt it.

However it may be with them or others, I'm so very grateful that My Beloved shares in responsibilities around the home now that he is retired. And when he sees that I'm not having time to give attention to some things, he goes ahead and tends to it, like throwing the clothes in the washer and getting it done (like yesterday). Other days I seem to have more free time than he does. We do life together.

I'm so appreciative of My Beloved's thoughtfulness that produces helpfulness, all born out of a heart of unselfish love, compelled by our Father above. Thank you, My Beloved.

Painting ~ Little Spooners, Norman Rockwell

Through This Earthly Journey

True friends draw our hearts Homeward—both toward our earthly home and our heavenly home. Such was the occasion today as I joined a few women at church in decorating for our special Winter Dinner. I was privileged to be paired with a dear lady whose fellowship was sweet as we pinned table skirts to the serving tables. We had a good hour's conversation, partly talking of the blessings each of us have in dear godly husbands who love and care for us. We are truly grateful for God's goodness flowing through them. 

Once again, My Beloved. The thoughts deepen with time —

You are the love of my life, my companion in pleasure, 

My very best friend through this earthly journey.

You are my shelter when storms are surging, 

My rock when all seems like shifting sand, 

My sharer of dreams and dreamer of plans.

You are my encourager when I want to give up or give in, 

My reminder that there’s always hope, 

My explainer of truth and thoughtful contemplation.

You are the one I want to grow gracefully old with, 

And yours is the hand I want to hold at the end of the day and into the night….

For the rest of my life.