One Flesh

"‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’. So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”Matthew 19:5-6

This is the week where we reflect on our blessings and give thanks to God for those blessings. The commercial world would have us worry about getting presents for Christmas and getting the best deals on those gifts. They would have our anxiety over shopping be at the forefront of our minds. So, I am working overtime to focus on the blessings in my life. And whenever I think I blessings, the first thought is always for my husband Mark. We will have been married 35 years this coming May. It may seem trite to some but he is truly mu better half. I consult him on everything, not because I don't trust myself, but because he is so smart and so resourceful. Whenever I find something remarkable, my first move is to share it with him. When he has been ailing, I feel it in my flesh. When he went through a recent health scare, I was beside myself with worry. He makes me laugh all the time and brings brilliance and creativity to my every day. In my darkest hours, he has been my brightest light. No matter how grouchy I get, he loves me tenderly and completely, despite all of my failings. We have three wonderful daughters who are so incredibly wonderful because of who there daddy is. He helped me to be a good mother by being an incredibly gentle and creative father. He made each of my daughters know they were beautiful and special. And he has made me feel capable when faced with my most complete failures. He is a wizard at caring, and I am so grateful that words most often fail.

May prayer for all of us this week is that we can put aside anxiety and expectation and just look around. Forget about cooking and planning - take a look around and see the blessings in your life. They are probably the people who are right beside you, the ones who help do the dishes, take out the trash, find your keys when you're in a panic and tell you how beautiful you are when the world seems scary and hostile. May we all be blessed with partners, family and friends, neighbors and communities that bless us by loving us. And may we be the kind of partners, neighbors and church people who bring out the best on others by offering them our very best.