There are alot of pics on social media. I post a lot, my friends post a lot. You have heard social media called the highlight reel. We don’t always know the truth behind pretty pictures or even ugly ones for that matter. But it’s not the ugly ones that intrigue us. We see a smiling, happy couple & we make assumptions. This picture from our 10 year anniversary trip (in 2012) to Antigua is a perfect example.
Sometimes all the people in these pretty pictures may not even know what is going on. That was the case here. Brad was giving in to his addiction & making poor choices back then but I was not yet clued in to it all. But in a few short months our lives would fall apart & the next year would break us & test our marriage in ways we couldn’t have prepared for. This cute pic doesn’t say all that.
However, I can honestly look at this picture & in that moment we were truly happy. That anniversary trip to the beautiful island of Antigua was one of the happiest times of my life. Ten years was a big milestone for us. Now I look back at it & realize what a gift that trip and this picture was/is. Looking back, it feels like a precious gift that God wrapped up just for me. He gave me that week with my husband in that beautiful place because He knew what was ahead. He gave me rest & sweet memory in that trip. I am forever grateful for that.
I have not thought about this picture or that trip in a long time, until this morning. I opened my Facebook app & this picture was shared with me as my memory from 7 years ago. Thanks FB:) When I saw this picture, it got me thinking.
Thinking that I am so thankful for that moment in time & all the moments since. It reminds me of what a good, good, God that we serve. He is not absent in our suffering nor is He absent in the blessing of good times.
So thankful for the way He has worked in my life & marriage & all that He has redeemed & restored. I am especially thankful for the things he made brand new! Today, my marriage is strong & Brad is the most remarkable man I know. He is wise, discerning, honest, & oh so kind.
Brad answered God’s call to ministry & by extension I did too. The ministry he placed on our hearts all those years ago has grown & changed & is more than we could have imagined. Most of all, it is bigger than Brad or me. Our prayer from the beginning was that God would do something so big that it would be destined to fail without Him in the center of it. We are four years in, still going strong & there are big things on the horizon!
To God be the glory forever & ever. Amen.
I felt led to do this short post today to encourage somebody out there to not give up. There is always hope – sometimes it’s a scary hope but don’t ever give up hope. The thought of what something might be is exciting and gives us the strength to keep moving forward. Whatever you are facing, God has got you and He is greater than all the hurt. He is a God of immeasurably more!
If you don’t follow Cross Roads Recovery on Instagram or Facebook, please do!
All the best!
Jodi
Living the Freed Up Life 