The smoke alarm went off in our apartment due to my birthday candles being lit. True story – happened this week. Thank God that when genetics came into play God didn’t give us sons who are their parents’ heights. My oldest reached up and was able to disarm the alarm. Ah, the goodness of God in the gifts of family, friends and a husband who misled me for 2 months leading up to today’s surprise party. Can not disclosing the entire truth be a good thing? This past Sunday, it was a very good thing.
That morning’s lack of disclosure began when Bill (husband) told me that he was rescheduled to teach Sunday School during the 11 AM service instead of the usual 9:15 service. Thus, he would be unable to sit with me during our regular service. But of course, after walking me into church, that tale enabled him to turn around and scamper home to help our kids set up the apartment for the party. Innocent me sat through the service and then went looking for him in the church lobby. We headed out to the car, but it was in a totally different spot than where it was parked earlier that morning. Bill explained that he had to run home after he dropped me off because he brought the wrong book bag for Sunday School. I still believed him. I even asked him how his class went. He told me that the attendance was small.
He was getting really good at not disclosing the entire truth.
We arrived home, climbed the stairs, Bill opened the door, and this group of people yelled “Surprise!!!” from my living room. I promptly graciously said, “Bill, you are a jerk!” and then smiled at my guests. Sometimes not knowing the whole truth can be a good thing.
There are quite a few times in which not grasping the whole truth has been a good thing for me. The week before we got married, I was worried that maybe I was making the worst decision in my life. How in the world was I prepared to become a suitable wife? And I often have not been a suitable wife. Being a wife can be exhausting, but God has blessed us with 48 years of a wonderful marriage.
I remember being quite anxious before I gave birth to our youngest son. I knew labor would be tough but didn’t know that giving birth to a 9lb 2oz baby would present a number of problems I had not anticipated. Delivery was beyond awful. What if I had been told the entire story beforehand? Would I still have looked forward to the birth?
I have a hard time with my gag reflex. What if someone would have told me that one night both our little sons would be crying, get out of bed to run to me and promptly both throw up in each of my beckoning hands? Would I have looked forward to the “joys” of motherhood?
What if the 2nd year we lived in Illinois someone had said, “This will be one of the worst years in your life. The pressures will get so bad that you will wake up every day wishing the sun would not rise.” Would I have taken the first flight back to PA or would I have instead done the healthiest thing which ever happened to me? That year I learned how to get up at 5 AM for long walks with Jesus, pouring my heart out to Him. I learned to pray.
What if someone had told me, there will come a day in which you will no longer be able to sing solo because ½ of your voice will be gone? Would I have given up because the ministry that carried me through most of my life was going to be extinguished? Or would I have persevered and discovered two new ministries which have been more rewarding than any previous experiences in my life. God has opened doors for me to in encouraging women to blossom in Christ and God has opened doors for me to help other writers to influence readers with their stories. I couldn’t do both of those ministries if I was still devoted to music.
See, sometimes being denied full disclosure can lead to the best blessings from God. By not knowing the entire story, I got married, gave birth to our youngest, mothered our two delightful sons, learned to pray. It opened me up to the best blessings in my life. For me, lack of full disclosure has often been a very good thing.