A beautiful rainbow had bid me ado as I pulled away from work, and thoughts of watching a favorite show on Netflix with my husband while munching yummy tacos filled me with renewed energy after a long day of patient care as a nurse. The shift had been long, but a relaxing evening lay ahead, and I had just ordered my favorite comfort food to pickup up on my way home. Well, almost ordered anyway. I had put in all the food and my debit card information. I only waited to hit the final “place order” button so it would be ready for pickup at just the right time. I could already taste it!
So imagine my frustration when I finally placed the order and was met with a message saying my card hadn’t gone through. I must have entered the information incorrectly. So I pulled over to put in my card number a second time. Then a third. But the real problem came when I logged into my bank and saw the bottom line. My first thought was a debit card hack, but the truth was even more disappointing. Every transaction proved to be true, and it was only by missed calculations and budgeting on my part that we had managed to totally drain our finances. $7.44. That was the harsh number that stared back at me. My heart sank, my mind spun, and my emotions exploded with upset and frustration.
I called my spouse immediately to not just break the simple news of no takeout supper, but also to share my angst over an empty account with payday still days away. I ranted, cursed, and berated myself to his open ear.
“It’s ok, baby. We’ll be fine. It’s not your fault. It happens,” he consoled.
And after hanging up I was reminded of something so very true. My husband was amazing. I never took that for granted. I don’t know if it was because I was older, because I had been through a difficult relationship and divorce before him, or if it was my relationship with Jesus that gave me the knowledge and wisdom to see selfless love. Regardless, though I didn’t take it for granted, I might let problems outshine the miracles in my midst. I had a miraculous, blessed relationship with a man who adored me, lifted me up daily, and treated me with a respect and affection like I had never known. He felt like he was the lucky one to have landed me, and I guess that made it even better. God had given me a wonderful partner to share life’s triumphs, but also tragedies, and that meant more than you could imagine.