There have been some interesting things going on:
I had an ortho check with Dr. Bill. He seems pleased with the way my teeth are literally coming together. When he stares at my teeth, I know he is in pure artist mode...but the look on his face gets intense! He was creating and visualizing the end product right then and there. It is going to be AMAZING!!
This week I also saw Cheney. We have lost multiple inches. She will blog about the details of this. But, we were both giddy, (and I very much relieved). The members of this team are all invested at different levels. There is only so much that Cheney's work can do if I were to sit on my fanny and do nothing. I have to work out and eat right. So, it was great to see that TOGETHER we are making progress. Did I mention I broke my toe a two weeks ago? So, the working out has been derailed a bit. There is something so very wrong about something as small as a toe hurting SO much. But, it is time now to tape them all together if I have to and get back to walking/working out.
The other biggest thing I have been experiencing is not about the makeover at all. But, it demonstrates how good God is and how much healing has taken place in my life. So, I guess it is time to lay out the quick synopsis of one of my life journeys. I am not going to give the devil a foothold by laying out gory details. But rather an overview to show God's goodness. AS A MOM-I ASK THAT THIS NOT BE DISCUSSED WITH MY KIDS-ALLOW ME TO COVER THAT ASPECT PLEASE.
I met my first husband at the age of 19, at church. He told me two weeks before the wedding that he had a drug addiction. So, I can imagine that your question would be, how could I not have known? Anyone that knew him at the time can attest, it wasn't obvious. His teeth were perfect, skinny would not describe him, he worked... The devil is the master deceiver! So, two weeks before the wedding, I thought-God is good, He can do anything, we can deal with this together. Well, for 8 years off and on, there wasn't much "working together". There were lies, stealing, jail, poverty, court dates, abuse, a tons of treatment centers... it was not a good or fun experience. There were highs among the numerous lows. I have three amazing kids that I wouldn't trade for the world. We left that marriage 8 years ago. This left me a single mom of three kids while I worked, went to college and took care of them with the help of my family. During the last 8 years my ex didn't talk or see the kids, I had his rights terminated 3 years ago. We never knew where he was and I was more than OK with that. But, there was no closure, no final break.
Fast forward to yesterday- My Father-in-law (the ex's Dad) passed away this week. I have always honored and respected my Father-in-law. He was an amazing example of God in how he cared for his family, never turning his back on any of them. A stranger wouldn't cross his path. So, funeral yesterday. The need to pay respects to PawPaw outweighed knowing that my ex was going to be there. So, I put on my Big Girl panties and went into an extremely uncomfortable situation.
Here comes the gift-when my ex came in, it was uncomfortable of course. But, over the course of the day we were able to talk. He has been clean for almost three years and is in a good church body with an active support system. I was able to let him know that I forgave him, and asked his forgiveness for things I said and did. I told him that the things we went through helped to make us the people we are today. We talked about God's grace, mercy and forgiveness, but also that there are consequences to our actions. The gift was that there wasn't anger towards him. It is not my place to judge. And by no means would I ever think that the miracles God has done in my life couldn't possibly be done in my ex's life. Being able to ask for and give forgiveness allowed me to move on.
Don't hold onto things that have happened to you in the past. Use those things to motivate you to move onward and upward.
PLUS--I got to see my family. Family shouldn't stop with divorce. I have a sister, nieces, nephew and more that I now feel comfortable having back in my life-ANOTHER GIFT!!
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