Praying for God’s Will
Today's post in the WordWashedWife series on prayer is written by my youngest daughter, Becky. Becky is married to our youngest child, Michael, who is nicknamed Precious. So Becky is Precious's wife and in all meanings- she is a precious wife and a beautiful soul! I know you will enjoy reading her post about praying for Michael during a season of change in their life and God's faithful answer. I am so glad we serve a faithful God. Keep reading, friend!
Hello Word Washed Wife community!
My name is Becky Creekmore and I am Ms. Sue’s youngest daughter (in-law). I married into the Creekmore clan in 2014 when Michael and I tied the knot after three years of dating. Michael and I attended high school together, but we didn’t start our relationship until our second year of college after re-connecting during Christmas break. That’s when I first met the Creekmores, from Ms. Sue and Mr. Jody to Maddy and James and JP and Sarah. I loved them all from day one and the rest is pretty much history.
As the last Creekmore pair to get hitched, Michael and I have been exceptionally lucky to be so close to four wonderful Christian marriages, including my parent’s 32-year marriage. I remember during our pre-marital counseling the deacon at our church asked about the marriages we had witnessed growing up. He was surprised to learn that both our parents and all four of our grandparents maintained healthy marriages throughout their lives. We are very blessed! God has given us the opportunity to see them all live out their faith through their marriages, and in the case of our older siblings, see them traverse life’s milestones one step ahead of us. I absolutely think that having marriage role models in our life has helped support our own healthy relationship. Whether they’re from your family unit, friendgroup, or church community I would highly encourage you to surround yourself with other healthy Christian marriages. There really is no better reflection of God’s love on this Earth than that of a marriage covenant.
When I was asked to write this blog post, I began reflecting on times when prayer has helped center our marriage. A few moments stood out in my mind, but I’ve been worried none of them really make a good story. There’s certainly been some tougher moments over the last few years, but overall Michael and I’s marriage has been pretty happy and carefree so far. After all, we don’t have kids yet and that definitely keeps things simple. 😊 So maybe I don’t have an exceptional tale to share with you all, but I hope I can tell you of a time when praying for my husband helped shift my focus from what we wanted out of life to what God wanted out of it…
For as long as I’ve known him, Michael’s path in life has been that of an Army officer. When our friendship in high school began he had already decided to enroll at the United States Military Academy (West Point), and when we started dating a few years later he was well on his way to becoming an Army officer. By the time we married he was a Second Lieutenant just weeks away from starting his first real job in the Army. In truth, Michael and the Army life have always been one thing to me. There was never really a time in our future when the Army didn’t own a part of it.
When asked, Michael would tell you that he wasn’t sure if he would make a full career out of the Army, but I could tell deep down he wanted just that. When we started our life in Fort Stewart, Georgia, it quickly became clear that this wasn’t really a long-shot. Michael was GREAT at what he did… a true leader that was well-loved by his peers, subordinates, and senior leaders. Although he spent a good bit of our time at Fort Stewart overseas, things felt right. Michael was fulfilled by his career, especially while he was a Platoon Leader, and I found a job with the government that would likely lead to future jobs at any Army post. We began to dream about potential places the Army would send us… Colorado, Alaska, maybe even Korea?! It wasn’t much longer before we learned that none of this was meant to be.
While at West Point, Michael sustained a devastating injury that would leave a lasting impact on his life. That injury steam-rolled back into his life, now our life, a year and a half ago. We saw three specialists that all confirmed the same thing: there was no route for a comeback from the injury this time. Michael’s time in the Army was coming to a sudden close and neither of us were happy about it.
I started my prayer campaign for Michael begging God for all the things I wanted. I wanted the injury to go away. I wanted him to stay in the Army. I wanted things to go back to the way they were. And I wanted all these things NOW. Fortunately and annoyingly, the Army processed Michael’s departure at a glacial pace. As I began to come to terms with the change in our future, I started to realize that my prayers probably weren’t focused on the right thing. Although I was praying, my prayers were me-centered, not God-centered.
While we were waiting for Army orders to process, we had quite a few vent sessions over the phone with Ms. Sue and Mr. Jody. Both were incredibly supportive and sympathetic. Many words of wisdom were shared during these conversations and they all held the same message: “God still has a plan for you and that plan is bright.” (Jeremiah 29:11) When those words finally sank in it was a bit like hitting a brick wall. This is GOD’s plan we are talking about, not mine! Not my plans for my husband’s career, but God’s.
Soon my prayers changed from asking God to give us what I wanted to asking God to give us what He wanted.
Following the change in my prayer requests, opportunities began hitting us left and right. It wasn’t necessarily easy deciding which decisions were the right ones to select, but when we realized that God had a plan for us we were at peace.
When someone says, “everything happens for a reason,” it sounds cliché, but I think that really is true if you are letting the Holy Spirit guide you. Sometimes it’s instantly obvious why something happened in your life, and sometimes it may take years for you to see its purpose. Other times, we may never know why something happened to us until we join Jesus in heaven.
As someone who hasn’t even been married for four years, I feel a bit bashful about giving any marital advice, but I hope I can impart a few words of wisdom before I close out this post. As wives, it’s easy to feel we know what’s best for our husbands and their future. The truth is, God is the one who knows best. Praying for your husband’s future, especially when that future is full of the unknown can be confusing. Luckily, if you just ask God for His will to be done, you are on the right path. In the words of Ms. Sue, “Keep reading friends!”
1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Jesus Christ.
