Freewill Reunion

Today is bittersweet for me. I don't use that word often, but today it is the most appropriate.

Bitter because I am not with my mom, family and friends in Minnesota. Bitter because I did not get to take an additional road trip with my mom. Bitter because my BFF's baby is moving in her belly and I will probably not get to ever rub her pregnant belly. I have refrained from thinking about the bitter parts of this change in summer plans because it means there are so many people I did not see, so many things I did not do...

But oh so sweet, because in like 24 hours, I will have a beautiful reunion with my husband in Honolulu. A honeymoon. A time of rest and relaxation. A renewal of the mind, body and spirit. A uniting of two to one. I haven't written much about his absence for two reasons: 1. I am absurdly blessed as a military wife (I never want to seem like a whiny brat) and 2. It was too painful to put into words.


He left June 14th aboard the Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) from the 32nd street pier. My mom and I chased his boat around the San Diego Baby :)


His ship then was scheduled to be in Oceanside until the 17th.

Mom, Brytin and I drove up and down the coast Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday looking for his ship...

We finally saw it Wednesday as the skies cleared. I cried tears of joy! I hadn't spoken to him since Monday around 1300 and I was losing my mind. Even though the ship was about 7 miles out to sea, even though I couldn't see him or even know for sure if it was his ship, I felt instant relief.

Anyway, all that to say that tomorrow at 8:58, I will have Honolulu in my sights. By 9:15, I will be in my husband's arms for the first time in 17 days. I know that in comparison to many military couples, I am greatly blessed to only be separated from my spouse for 17 days. Unfortunately, that fact alone doesn't make it any easier to deal with the lonely moments, the little things that are missing in his absence, the inability to know exactly how his day went...We have never been separated this long in our four years together, and never ever ever went more than 12 hours without speaking (while he was sailing to Hawaii, there was no communication - June 14th to June 24th).

I am so thankful that God has blessed me with this amazing opportunity - to see my husband, to visit Hawaii, and a time of separation that brought us unfathomably closer together.

A friend (LB) made an interesting comment today...God never tells us what choice to make (Free Will), but He always lets us know when we are making the wrong choice.

My mind is too jumbled with travel details to bring those two points together...but there is a connection...Maybe just that despite our financial situation, God provided a way for me to travel to Hawaii? Despite all that Chris and I have been through, God found it necessary to (finally) convince my husband that I am worth more than rubies (Proverbs 31:10). Despite my "best laid plans," God had better plans in mind.