• Acknowledgements
  • About My Carpenter Friend

My Carpenter Friend & Me

~ Reflections

My Carpenter Friend & Me

Tag Archives: Trials

It’s Raining Grace

07 Monday Feb 2011

Posted by Dannielle E Carr in Inspiration, Life

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Christianity, Do not worry, Faith, God's love, Grace, Life Is Unfair, Life Journey, Prayer, Surgery, Trials, Why

Last March, while in the hospital recovering
from the surgery to remove the tumors on his colon, a friend brought Duwayne a small potted plant. The tag labeled it as a South African Freesia. They are as beautiful when ladened with bright yellow bulbs as they are with their elegant blooms. Immediately, I felt the atmosphere in hospital room lighten, but not just because of the plant.

Along with the Fressia, this friend brought the story of her own experience with chronic, terminal illness. She was familiar with the struggle ahead of Duwayne and me. She was also familiar with God’s grace that enabled her to live through and live beyond her fight.

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. The Apostle Paul learned to live by these words which came from a very present and loving Heavenly Father. He learned during a time of agonizing need, the exact nature of which is uncertain. But, whatever his ailment, I believe we can learn through our own weaknesses…hardships…difficulties that God will strengthen us Himself in all we face. His grace will rain upon us.

Two days ago, Duwayne and I went for a walk even though we knew it might rain. Eventually it did, though it was light. We pulled our hoodies over our heads, held hands and walked in mud while talking about how amazed we were that we made it through so much with what we thought was so little. We laughed at our “poor love”, pun intended. In effect though, we were amazed at how much God’s grace saturated our lives. It saturates the life of the friend who brought the Freesia and it saturates yours as well.

Like Paul, we oftentimes pray for a change of circumstance and our request is not granted. Instead, God in His wisdom says to us My grace is sufficient for you…He wants us to relinquish our meagre strength in order to live by His enabling.

Of course, this is easier said than done; however, I learned something else during our walk that will make this ‘giving over’ to God easier for me and hopefully, for you. I was enjoying the walk this weekend until it began to rain. So distraced by the rain, I paid no attention to what Duwayne was saying to me. I began to walk faster and tried to drag him along, insisting that I would get soaked. He responded, ” …a little rain won’t hurt you…” Realizing he was right, I slowed down (a little), re-engaged in the conversation and eventually we got home – happy and safe.

Now, I don’t think “a little rain” is necessarily anagolous to what you or I am going through (perhaps torrent would be more suitable), but certainly we can draw from the experience just shared. When hardship rains upon us, God won’t always allow our circumstances to change to suit our needs. We have no choice but to keep on walking in the rain – to live – in the discomfort and pain. Yet, God’s intention is not to hurt us. For with with the same rain that we are certain will wash away all hope and ruin our lives comes an outpouring of grace and more grace. Yes, His grace rains upon us and is sufficient to get us home.

Be encouraged.

Relinquish your meagre strength and abide in Him.

You have who and what it takes to make it – a very present and loving Heavenly Father and His powerful grace.

For more upliftment, click on the following link and watch the video at the top of the page. It’s a discussion around a book called ‘One Thousand Gifts’ by Ann Voskamp. She discusses the childhood ordeal with which she begins her book: http://www.incourage.me/category/bloom

Advertisements

Share This Post

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

May The Sun Shine

01 Saturday Jan 2011

Posted by Dannielle E Carr in Inspiration

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Dispelling darkness, Happy New Year, Hope, New Life, Prayer, Trials

My prayer for you in 2011:

May the sun shine!
dark clouds break
clear vistas dawn
tended gardens bud
joyful tears fall
silence become song
hallelujah! resound in Heaven.

HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Share This Post

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

Every Waking Moment

15 Thursday Jul 2010

Posted by Dannielle E Carr in Inspiration, Marriage

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Cancer, Dreams, Fears, Hope, Love, Trials

“Hi.” That’s how my husband and I begin our days.

More often than not, I stay in bed for another hour or two after I wake up to allow my husband to get at least five hours sleep. He oftentimes falls asleep when most people in our time zone are stirring. Once he feels the weight of the bed change, or hears my feet brush the carpet, he lifts his sleep mask, we look at each other and smile.

From that point on, it’s just us, all day. Neither of us works right now (but that’s another post); so, we are seldom apart. This has not always been the case, though.

On our honeymoon at Couples, Negril (Jamaica), the hotel staff left a little card near the front door that said, “May you grow old together on one pillow.” Awww, I know. However, in our relationship, my husband and I have had to sleep on separate pillows for a couple of reasons. The first is that no matter how romantic the quote sounds, the one pillow idea is just impractical – for us anyway. If it’s not that he’s at the other end of the bed, he needs at least two (or three) pillows and I need one (or none).

The second reason we’ve slept on separate pillows is that we have spent more time living apart, in different countries, both while dating and married. Four months ago, even with plans to be together, we couldn’t really foresee how or when we would see each other again. Although difficult, we didn’t usually mope about it because we always had a special grace to deal with being away from each other, thanks to my carpenter friend.

This one pillow concept, though, is still important to us because it represents the time we have now been given to build a stronger marriage. Though undesirable, the circumstances under which we were brought together – my husband’s cancer – have allowed us to get to know each other in ways many couples do only after a decade or two.

Naturally, I would love to be able to write without including his cancer but I find that I can’t, no matter how hard I try because every waking moment of his life is my life and vice versa. Confronting his mortality, certain kinds of conversations are inevitable. We explore and share our deepest fears and highest hopes, perhaps no more so than when I ask, What if you die? Or he says, I don’t know if I’ll be around next year, but I really want to be…Life has made us more honest with each other and with our carpenter friend about what we think, feel and believe.

The first time he was made to sit in a wheelchair was one of the most disempowering and embarrassing experiences for him. Even after being wheeled to his hospital room, he didn’t foresee that he would become so frail, barely ambulatory, and unable to do his necessities in the bathroom on his own. Still less, that I would have to assist him. The indignity of feeling stripped of both his manhood and his personhood brought him desperately low.

I am familiar with the details of how he felt during these low points because he told me – and not when he was in good spirits, but while squeezing my hand, in whispers and in tears. I could hardly say much more than “Okay” during those times. Without question, his illness engendered a level of vulnerability and dependence in our friendship that remains and is sometimes too profound for words.

We have seen our marriage blossom despite the challenges we have faced and it is obvious to me that this growth has been at the hands of this carpenter, my friend I keep mentioning. I know my carpenter friend is actively building us up in the tedium and restlessness that comes with two young people being home all day and unable to be productive in the ‘prime’ of our lives. He’s building character and strengthening a marriage that is already a force to be reckoned with in this battle with cancer.

During the ring ceremony in our wedding, the pastor had me repeat these words, “Entreat me not to leave thee.” I don’t think he meant for us to literally spend every waking moment together, but we haven’t gotten tired of each other (and I don’t think that will change). Instead, most days are filled with ‘I love you’s’ (including gestures), and comfortable silence.

At nights, as I lay my head on his chest to fall asleep, trying to avoid his protruding chemo port, we cherish the time we have with that familiar silence, or pillow talk. We hope to grow old together as best friends and as each other’s favourite person…

And as we say “Night hon” and turn over, deep down we know we will.

Share This Post

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

Welcome!

My name is Dannielle E. Carr and my truest friend is a carpenter. He used to build and repair things made of wood. I'm not sure if he was any good; but, I'd like to think he was because now, he does a great job of building and repairing my life.

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 24 other followers

Advertisements

Blog Posts

  • January 2012 (1)
  • August 2011 (1)
  • April 2011 (1)
  • February 2011 (1)
  • January 2011 (2)
  • December 2010 (1)
  • October 2010 (2)
  • September 2010 (1)
  • August 2010 (1)
  • July 2010 (1)
  • June 2010 (1)
  • May 2010 (2)
  • April 2010 (3)

Cancer Carrots Christ Christianity Diet Dignity Dispelling darkness Do not worry Dreams Faith Faith in God Fears Friendship Fruit God God's love Good advice Good Shepherd Grace Habits Happy New Year Healing Hope Humanity Jeremiah Jesus John 11 Lazarus Life Is Unfair Life Journey Lifestyle Lord Love Marriage New Life New Year Panic Parenting Personhood Prayer Psalm 23 Resolution Resolve Security Self-esteem Still Standing Storms of life Surgery Trials Unanswered Prayer Unaswered prayer Waiting on God Why

Blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
%d bloggers like this: