Balance! and Loneliness?

I was just thinking this morning about how good God is in the way he provides for us. Specifically, I have been thankful for my husband and the perfect match he is for me! It's kind of silly because nothing in particular happened, but James asked me a question yesterday, and I heard myself saying, "You need to talk with your dad about this because he will be able to help you more than me." The question? More or less it was this, "We are studying evolution and watched a film about it and about how there are good mutations which caused evolution, but I don't believe in evolution, so when the question was asked on my worksheet, 'Are there good mutations?' I answered, 'No.' When my teacher gives it back and marks it wrong, I want to ask him to change my grade because answering yes would have been against my religion." Well, I kind of giggled, but I knew where he was coming from. On top of the fact that he just does not agree with evolution at all (and has strong convictions like his mother), when I was home schooling last year, we did a whole section of science from this book about creation versus evolution. At the time I could not remember this next thing that I am going to write, so I will have to tell James tonight, but it said that MOST mutations are bad, such as birth defects, and most of the time they are medically corrected. Basically statistics show that good mutations are so unlikely that evolution is not possible but not that there are NO good mutations. (I know there are two types of evolution, and it was talking like from one species to another, not within the species). I really need to ask Caroline Casselberry to send me the book we used so he can review it. Anyway, I am such a black and white person, and so is James, and I agree with James that his teacher should not ask questions that are so controversial with a right or wrong answer. James should have the freedom to express what he thinks, but I did not think his response to the teacher would go over well. However, I had no idea how to help him. So, I told Brent and had James talk to Brent, who just so quickly came up with a perfect answer for him, which would allow James to answer correctly without compromising his convictions. I am not on top of things enough to figure that out. What if I did not have Brent? In this case, James would have argued his point unintelligibly and probably would have gotten on his teacher's bad side.

This is only one little stupid example, but things like this happen all the time, and I rarely express my thankfulness to God for providing me with someone who complements me. I am so black and white. Things are right or wrong. There is very little gray in my world. Brent, on the other hand, is so full of grace and love and sees all the gray that is out there, and helps me, when I let him, learn to extend more grace and love to others. I don't tell him enough how thankful I am for him, either - so if you read this, Brent (and I haven't already told you), thanks, and I love you!

On the flip side, I can also help Brent to see things from my perspective, which sometimes is necessary. Sometimes a foot has to be put down and sin needs to be called what it is. There is this amazing balance that God provides to each of us through the other. Unfortunately, we don't always see the blessing in that because it can also be amazingly frustrating to be so different. My prayer in my marriage right now is that I will clearly see and appreciate Brent's perspective and hear him when he tries to share what he thinks with me and that it would be the same the other way around!

I was having coffee (okay a orange cream frappacino that has no coffee flavor in it) this morning with my friend, Amberly, who I have grown to love and appreciate so much since we moved here. We had a great conversation about how we are each doing. In the course of that conversation, she asked how I was doing with loneliness. It kind of caught me off guard and in a good way. One thing I can say about being here is that I don't feel lonely. Yes, I miss my friends and family in Bartlesville and long to be with them. I would like to just call each of you and be able to schedule lunch, but it is not possible, and that bums me out sometimes. But I do not feel lonely here, and what a blessing that is!!! We have been so warmly welcomed, and I have quickly formed friendships that I feel will last a lifetime, and I am so thankful for how God has provided these relationships. Thanks, Amberly, for asking because I don't think I have stopped to appreciate that blessing that God has bestowed on me!

So today I just appreciate God, My Provider, because He has provided so much for me - more than I could begin to list.