OPPOSITE

This post was written for Five Minute Friday

Word prompt--OPPOSITE

Five minutes to free-write about it

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The first thing that popped into my mind was the apostle Paul's words in Romans 7:19--For I do not do the good I want to do. Instead, I keep on doing the evil I do not want to do (BSB).

And then before I had a chance to elaborate, thoughts of other opposites crowded my mind, interrupting that first one and clamoring to be heard.

I thought of how many times I have been quick to jump to conclusions and wrongly judge things that turn out to be the opposite of what I had thought. And how the life I am living now is so opposite of what I ever thought or expected it to be. And how the dreams I had when I was a teen, of falling in love and getting married to someone I would grow old with, and having a close knit family that enjoyed each other's company and doing things together did not turn out the way I thought they would.

That was a very big opposite. I did fall in love and get married and have a family, but my husband and I did not grow old together, and the many mistakes I made as a single mom pretty much killed any chance for the strong, bonded family I had yearned for.

One very amazing opposite though is that I am still here and just got to meet my 7th great-grandson. 

There was a time, not long after my husband's untimely death, that I had a scary experience that led me to have some serious concerns about my own mortality and what would happen to my children if something happened to me before they grew up. I was so sure that would be the case I wrote a will entrusting them to the care of my best friend in the event of my demise. By the grace of God, that did not turn out to be the case.

Also by His grace, and despite my parental shortcomings, my children have blossomed and matured into responsible adults and wonderful parents, who I am immensely grateful  are not repeating the same mistakes I made. It has also made me happy to see them live out many of the dreams I once dreamed for myself.

Most of all, I am grateful to a loving God who not only allowed me to witness my own children grow up, but allowed me to see my grandchildren grow up as well, and most of them get married and have families of their own.