What a day! This is week 2 of being a single dad and I honestly don’t know how anyone parents alone. Last week about killed me and I am pretty sure at this rate by the end of the week I will be dead. Don’t get me wrong, my kids are awesome, I have great support from friends and family but when your best friend, wife, helper and your everything is 10,000 miles away in Africa it makes for a long 2 weeks. Michelle is in Africa on a mission trip to help with a women’s conference at the international Baptist church. The funny part of the story is how she got there....
About 7 years ago God laid on my heart the people of Africa and gave me a burden to be with them (evidently my wife did not get the same call at the time) Michelle (my wife, for those who didn’t know that) swore that if she ever stepped foot in Africa that God Himself would have to put her there. So this trip is a little awkward for both of us. You see when she was first asked to go I had a lot of anger and jealousy because this trip was my calling and my dream. After all she got to go to Mexico last year and I haven’t even been out of the US! I have to be honest that I told her a few times I hope she got bit by a monkey. (as a joke... well most of the time) So with her living out my dream and me staying here and being a single dad I felt like I got the short end of the stick.
So I decided to have a little talk with God about a month ago to discuss this situation and how unfair it was to me. BOY did HE open my eyes. See God is always using us wherever we are and I have recently learned that what I want is not what matters, it’s what God wants that matters. So after this talk that I was on the losing end of I had a peace with my wife going and truly wanted her to have a good time while she was there.
By staying home these 2 weeks I have had an opportunity to look into the role my wife plays in our marriage. I never took her for granted but man I didn’t realize all she did or the time and energy it took. I have also had the chance to spend some quality time with my kids and grow closer to them. But I would say the biggest lesson I have learned is how to truly give your family over to God. See with Michelle in Africa I have no control over her protection, I have no way to comfort her if she is sad, so I have had to really give my wife to God and spend time on my knees in prayer for her daily. Also since I was here God gave me the great opportunity to help lead a young man to God. WOW! My relationship with God has grown more in the past 2 weeks than it has in a long time.
So God I’m ready, I’m ready, I’m ready to continue this journey in any way or fashion that you see fit. (hopefully Africa, just sayin')
In HIS name for HIS purpose.
Bro. Rickey
PS. Michelle, hurry home I miss my wife, oh yeah.... and.... I think our youngest needs to be on medication... but that’s for another time.
You're awesome, and a really good writer (who woulda thunk!) From being with your kids today, I know you've done a great job with them this week, as always, you're just an awesome dad. As for Africa, God better tell me before he tells you because I'll need time to absorb that idea but I know what it means to your heart so if you get the chance, go for it! I'm way excited that you have a blog. Keep it up :)
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