Happy New Year! Hope all is well with you and yours.
Today has been a day of reflection for me. We have begun a new decade. I can look back at the past decade and see how much my life has changed. It amazes me at how much can happen in one life in such a relatively short time.
At the beginning of the millennium, we already had Shelli. She was four at the time. In August of 2000, Marli came into our family. I graduated from college with my paralegal degree. When Marli turned one, I went to work in the crazy law world. In 2002, Keith and I began having marital problems mostly because of his drinking, but the faults are not laid entirely on his shoulders. We reconciled thankfully. However, in 2006, the drinking was more than I could take. I, along with Shelli and Marli, decided it was best for us to leave. This brings me to the most awesome turn of events of the decade.
In March the girls and I moved out and I filed for divorce. Keith at this point was beginning his decline to his rock bottom. The girls and I rented a house in town and Keith stayed at our home, the home where we were to grow old. Anyway, as his drinking got worse, the finances were not where he could maintain the house so it went into foreclosure. He had no where to turn so he moved in with us. Yeah, I know.
The divorce was to be final on Monday, June 5, 2006. I was fired from my job on Friday, June 3, 2006. A total shock entirely out of the blue. Devastated does not touch what I felt like. However, it started the chain of events that has changed our lives. I often joke with God that I had been praying for a miracle but getting fired was not exactly what I had in mind.
Any who, Keith and I talked the entire weekend. He refused to give me a divorce while I had no job. I agreed. I called the attorney and told him to hold off on the final judgment, so he did. Of course, by Monday afternoon I had three job offers. We never called the attorney back to go forward with the divorce.
Well, after THE WORST Fourth of July I have ever experienced with Keith, on July 7th at 2:30 a.m. Keith came to me and said, "I need help!" My first reaction was "Am I dreaming?" My second reaction was "Are you kidding me? After all my kicking, begging, screaming, praying and whatever else, you mean you couldn't have picked a better time to tell me this?" God does have a sense of humor.
Since that crazy morning, Keith has been sober. A year after his sobriety anniversary date we went on our first mission trip and Keith was bitten by the bug. He answered the call to ministry after our second family mission in July 2008 which led us to New Orleans so he could attend seminary. Now, we are back in Brookhaven looking to begin our ministry and tell our testimony for 2010. And, we have our new addition, Cooper, who is now two months old and precious.
God has blessed my family tremendously. The story is much longer and I would love to share more details. And I will in the future. I am so extremely excited to see what God has planned for us next. Stay tuned.