Romantic and Thankful Thoughts

I have been thoughtful lately. There are many things I am learning about myself on this love dare. I admit that even a few days into it I thought of quitting, I honestly didn't think Hubby and I needed to do it. I was going to stop, but then I know that good will come out of it, because it challenges both my relationship with God and my relationship with Hubby, the two most important ones I will ever have.
Last Saturday I opened my laptop to find a letter Hubby wrote sometime the night before. The basic jest of the letter is that I make him feel like the luckiest man alive, that he loves me like craziness, and that he appreciates me. Also that he is finding me mysterious again and that although he didn't think we needed the challenge. He is thankful for it, because even just in my actions he has discovered that he had become complacent in our relationship. There are many things I have been challenged to do and some I have completed while others I have decided to put into everyday practice instead of every now and then.
Just recently a new friend of mine's Hubby was diagnosed with Leukemia. I was devastated for them. But every time I talk to my friend W she is upbeat and encouraging. I thought to share with her a challenge Hubby and I faced just 3 years into our marriage. Hubby was prescribed some medication to help manage the nerve damage he has, the medication had some pretty bad side effects. I woke up the morning of Goosie's first birthday and heard Hubby say that he was suicidal, he had a plan, it was rationalized, justified and he was just waiting to carry it out. I was able to talk him into checking himself into the hospital, he was there for about a month. It was the hardest month of my life. I had no support as we had just moved to a new area and had not found a church yet, family was far away and there was no one to surround me. Add to that the one person I thought I could turn to told Hubby's superiors all the things I confided in her.
W asked me how I made it through. I told her that I knew that there was a blessing coming from the situation. I started praying and claiming the blessing. I kept reminding myself that God knows everything he has for us, whether joy or pain. He orders our steps and works all things out for good for those who love him. All of that gave me comfort and strength. God gave me the grace and everything else I needed to be there for Hubby and to help both of us come out of the situation better.
I have been thinking about that and how god has helped us come through so very much in our new marriage. Our family has grown and thrived at each new duty station. I grow fonder and fonder of Hubby in so many ways. I know that he and I have had our ups and downs, but by God's grace the ups are so high I hardly ever feel down. Blessings until next time!