Never Alone

As many of you know this is a crazy time in our newlywed lives. David has been placed in Alabama to work on a plant for the time being. My first thought when this was mentioned was, "cool!". Then reality set in-I would be all alone here at home. We haven't been apart more than a week since we began dating and the prospect of being apart for as long as a month terrifies me! I can't help but think, "We got married so we could spend the rest of our lives together, not apart".

I struggled with this for a few weeks. David remained positive and kept challenging me to come up with some good things about it. Now if you know David,  he says this a lot. I stubbornly refused to think of anything. One day it dawned on me-he was leaving whether I wanted him to or not. My good things:

1. It would help us communicate. We had settled into a routine of coming home at night and watching TV over supper. This was something I said I would never do. Neither of us wanted our communication to occur with background noise. Us being apart would require more work when it came to talking. We are blessed to have techy tools such as cellphones and Skype which make this MUCH easier!
2. Time for school. As a new teacher I spend A LOT of time working on school. Many seasoned educators have warned me that it's only a job, and you can never replace the time you miss with your family. While I know these things, subconsciously I still feel guilty if I don't devote hours each weekend to lesson plans and grading. With David in Alabama I will have extra time to find ways of helping "my kids" without missing time with David.
3. Growing my faith. A couple months ago David and I started a Community Group for young couples. David leads the meetings while I serve as support and a right hand. With David gone I will step up to lead. This challenges me to spend more time with the Lord. Studying His word has been something I have neglected in recent months. There is absolutely no excuse, no matter how many I would like to let fall from my mouth. Being by myself, and stepping up as leader, will help me as I grow in my walk.
4. Spending time with others. As newlyweds it is very easy to get wrapped up in each other and the excitement of our new marriage. David's absence gives me an excuse to have fun with new friends as well as visit with family.

After thinking this through I realized that I am not alone. In fact, I couldn't be farther from it! I have wonderful family and friends that would do anything to help me. I also have the Lord. With Him, I will never be alone, and what a good feeling that is. I leave you with a clip, and our first dance song!

Until next time,
Lauren