Stress Relief

God has blessed me with a beautiful, smart, and hilarious wife. Sherry is amazing. This week has been very stressful for me. In our Spanish Phonetics class, I am struggling with pronunciation of several different combinations of consonants and vowels. I have three major exams in the next two days, and I was focused on that. It was really beginning to stress me out.

Today, we went to a restaurant called Granes de Oro, Grains of Gold. In Costa Rica, the Grains of Gold are coffee beans. This restaurant was recommended to us by another missionary. It was a very nice place, but it wasn't too expensive. It was nice to go with another couple to celebrate Valentine's Day.

While we were there eating, Sherry had us laughing with her quick wit. The way she sees things is amazing. My stress just melted away. I am truly blessed to have such a great wife by my side. She is a blessing to our family.

Who in your life is a blessing? Maybe you know someone who can help lighten the mood in a room full of stress or anxiety. Is there a friend or family member that is hilarious? I know that God has a sense of humor. He put a UPS driver with a history teaching degree together with an E.R. nurse and is sending them to the jungles of Paraguay to reach the Guarani Indians. What can be funnier than that!?

Jesus had to have a sense of humor. He brought together 12 of the most unlikely people to start the Christian church. These twelve included fishermen, tax collectors, and rebels. Can you imagine the jokes or stories told around the dinner table and on the long walks between ministry opportunities. Peter probably told Matthew, "I once caught a fish THIS big!"

As I mentioned before, this week has been difficult. Yet during all of this, Sherry was able to unknowingly help relieve some of my stress. I am still nervous about the exams, but I do know that everything will be okay. Her sense of humor and comedic timing has helped lighten my load. I thank God for her and people like her in my life. Take some time today and thank the people in your life who make you laugh.

Blessings to all,

Charley