Changes

Last week, I introduced you to a new blog I had found called The Generous Wife.  If you haven't checked it out, do so. 

I've enjoyed reading her daily posts and they have helped me shift my focus to being a servant instead of expecting so much. 

My husband and I are going through some changes in our life.  He began working a new job back in April and, at the time, we knew that there was the possibility that he could be sent overnight 1-3 nights a week.  As a matter of fact, after he was trained, he was gone for 2 nights a week the first few weeks but then, he seemed to be put on routes that were long but not overnight.  He worked his max 60 hours a week but, the schedule brought him home every night.  That all changed last week - after 5 months of a pretty consistent schedule, he was called on a Saturday and told that he was being sent on a two day route leaving at 2:00 am on Monday morning.  He was also told that this is his new route.  Now, our Sundays have been cut short and he's gone.  Alot.  He goes to bed at 6:30 on Sunday nights in order to get up at 12:30.  This past week, he got home on Tuesday at 6:00 PM, went to bed at 7:30 and got up at 1:30 on Wednesday morning to be gone over night again.  When he got home at about 3:30 on Thursday, I had figured out that since he went to bed on Sunday, I had seen him face to face for a total of 3 hours .  Now, for two people who LOVE to be together, 3 hours out of about 72 is not very many.  The days are long and it makes me even more thankful to be able to stay home with the boys - to give them that stability is just fantastic.  As with most things in life, this transition is difficult because it isn't comfortable but, again, as with most things, it gets better as you learn a routine.  We don't like losing hours on Sunday because he has to go to bed, we don't like the overnight stays but we are thankful for the job God provided and even for little things like the savings in gas because he isn't making the long commute as many days.  I'm learning to plan meals differently for just the boys and I (I don't cook much for the three of us - we eat simple!).  We can either choose to fight this or we can choose to accept it and make it work.  We are choosing to make it work. 

I'm thankful that I found The Generous Wife prior to this job change because I had already started changing my mindset and was looking for ways to cherish my husband more.  For as long as we have been married I have gotten up with Darryl to send him off to work.  I make his lunch, prepare his coffee, make sure his bag is packed, and he has everything he needs.  I enjoy this 30 minute time in the morning - we chat about things, get to say good bye and are thankful for those quiet moments.  It isn't a sacrifice for me at all but rather, a great way for us to connect in a very busy schedule.  I'm also looking for some other ways to treat him well and let him know he is thought of while he is away. 

I say all of that to say - are you taking time to cherish your spouse?  Even something as simple as making sure there are clean clothes or clean sheets are ways to show you cherish that important person.  Don't forget to take time to purposefully show love on a daily basis.