Sometimes, we have to get out of our way for Jesus to work His way.

This blog entry is a bit different than usual, but it comes from my heart and I am unashamedly writing this because of a great thing the Lord just did in my heart. It is something that was sorely needed, especially after more than four months of heartache and loneliness:

Praise God! I had a breakthrough this week with my wife. Not really on her end, but on mine.

Backstory: Patty’s mom has advanced dementia. She’s had it for about three or four years and has been getting worse. While I empathized with my wife about this, I don’t know that I ever really supported her in her struggles with her mom or fully understood them.

Patty told me late last week that the police had to come because her mom tried to call her but didn’t remember her phone number. That’s all Patty told me at that time.

So, her mother called another number, some company. She told them she was trying to reach her daughter. So, the company called the police and they sent the police, an ambulance and the fire department to her home out of concern.

Now, Patty goes over to her mother’s house three or four times a week, makes sure she is well fed and takes very good care of her mother, but the police questioned her about who was taking care of her mother. They have no idea of the legal hoops that Patty and her brothers are trying to jump through to even get her in an assisted living facility because her mother simply refuses to leave her home.

Patty’s father passed away about a year and a half ago, and her mother just refuses to leave their long-time home. I neded to talk to Patty about some financial matters today, and I asked her how that whole thing worked out and she told me the above details.

Here’s why it’s a breakthrough: When she explained all of that to me, my heart just melted and I began to cry uncontrollably. For the first time, I finally and completely understood the pain that she is going through and the pressure that she is under.

I really didn’t get that before. And I ask the Lord for forgiveness for being oblivious to my wife’s deep-seeded pain and distress. I get it now, and I know why she needs time away from me. It’s been a little more than four months, but I know she is trying her best to keep our household going and take care of her mother at the same time.

This revelation, and my participation in Jason Carver Ministries’ 40-Day Stand for Marriage Restoration devotional, I will be able to be a lot more patient with this whole thing.

I know she needs time. She needs healing. I will continue to pray for that, as I have every day, but even more diligently.

Lord, thank you for this revelation and thank you for taking care of my darling wife. And thank you all for your prayers for my situation.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank a new friend, Gary Tolley, for his kindness and his compassion. I met him through LinkedIn, and wasn’t sure what to think when we connected, but boy did we connect! I spoke with him for 3 1/2 hours less than 24 hours after we connected, and I discovered that, although I have never met him in person – but will in a couple of weeks – Gary is one of the most genuine people I’ve ever known. This connection was divine appointment, I can guarantee you that, and I believe this connection and others I have been making professionally lately have been the result of my simple obedience to the Lord.

He is in the process of making a film called “I am Josiah.” I am chomping at the bit to see this film, which will be shown in theaters very soon. A tagline for the movie, from the website, is “Never underestimate the broken and discarded because they can become the fiercest warriors.”

You can certainly bank on that, and I encourage everyone to see this film when it comes out simply because the makers of this film are God’s warriors. I can’t wait to meet many of the others involved.

Thank you, Gary, for your friendship and for your genuiness. You are certainly a blessing.