In a blessed mood, and I cannot end this month without one last blog post! Last month marked four years that my fiancée Courtni and I have been together. Who would have thought a coffee mug at our first meet up at a Starbucks cafe would lead to a four year odyssey of love and growth. Fun fact: Before meeting at Starbucks I couldn’t help but wonder if a gift was too soon, but luckily Courtni’s birthday was coming up.
Relationships as we know are more than just holding hands; cute photos; and simple or expensive gift; it’s about learning. Being with my partner for this long has not only given me the opportunity to learn more about her, but has also given me the chance to learn about myself.
Let Yourself Rest If it wasn’t for Courtni being in my life I wouldn’t think to give myself more time to breathe. Due to my upbringing and my own conviction, my mentality is to work three times as hard as everyone else. Working means you get to eat and working a little harder can mean living more comfortably. Some part of me still feels the need to compensate for having a speech impediment. So I push myself to excel in any occupation I have with God as my forever ally. I am reminded by my partner that I won’t be able to make a check or do ministry work if I’m burnt out. Two months ago, for the first time in forever, I took a week off from laboring. It didn’t trouble me at all that I didn’t go out of town. With all the driving my job demands, it was good for me to just stay put. I read; wrote; worked out; and I took unplanned naps. My biggest kicker was liberation from the thought of money and imagining how much better if mankind wasn’t enslaved to the love of it.
Spoil Yourself I enjoy giving to others, even if it’s not Christmas. Putting a smile on someone’s face whether it be in work, ministries, or on my own time is just as satisfying as receiving any item. If I see something I want to purchase I will spend a couple minutes or days contemplating, Do I need this? Every now and then I am reminded by myself and my fiancée that it is okay to treat myself. So long as those nice things do not take the place of God, it is okay to have them. For example, recently I purchased a lovely harmonica set- complete in seven keys(A, B, C, D, E, F, G). That harmonica set I utilize for relaxation and to minister when I’m called forth to do special music at my church. It’s good being able to have one more tool I can use for His glory.
There’s quite a bit more I could mention, but the bottom line is I am happy! I’m grateful to have learned from my relationship and the person I’m in it with.
I ask you, what have your learned from your relationship?
DavidSpeaks 