Blessed and Refreshed

I was privileged this past weekend to spend four days with my family in Grand Haven, Michigan. Grand Haven is a beautiful place, with great access to the expected amenities without sacrificing on location. We stayed in my parents' fifth-wheel camper trailer in the state park, located right on the beach and adjacent to the boardwalk/pier. This pier boasts a traditional red lighthouse, and if you follow it back to where it meets the boardwalk, it will take you into the downtown heart of the city. Main Street is lined with fashion boutiques, craft and hobby stores, and mom-and-pop restaurants - and most places are even dog-friendly. It's the perfect location for walks on the pristine white-sand beach, bike rides, sun, surf, meditation, shopping; whatever your vacationing heart desires, it has.

It was a great opportunity to recover from a nasty head cold, to relax after months of balancing three part-time jobs, and to appreciate my family anew. My parents are some of the most supportive, giving people I have ever met. They understand the lack of money that my husband and I face, and they readily offered to take on the financial burden of bringing me with them. My husband was unable to go, sadly, but in a way, it turned out to be a good thing. He had free roam of the apartment for the weekend to have friends over and watch movies I hate, and I was blessed with four days away from the disaster zone that we live in (yeah, I need to clean).

It's not the first time that I've vacationed with my parents and siblings and left my husband behind. Since before we got married I have been the worrywart of our little family, and I stress out easily. My husband is not the same, praise Jesus. When money gets tight, he trusts that it will all come together; when things break, he fixes them or calls someone who knows how. He rarely feels the pressing need to escape and relax, while it hits me pretty strongly at least once a year. So, when opportunity rears its head, he kisses me and calmly waves goodbye as I head out to clear my head and reconnect with the Lord.

I always come back refreshed and ready to tackle life again, and my husband (bless his heart) is always more than ready for me to return. It's true what they say about absence making the heart grow fonder. Doing without his presence for just a few days makes me appreciate him and realign my priorities. *sigh* God has been so good to me in so many ways. I hope I never take for granted the generous spirits of my parents or the loving grace of my husband.