Last week I bought a knife at Wal-Mart from Ree Drummonds’ (the pioneer woman) new line, and let me just say its amazing! I’ve never had a knife that cuts so clean and so easy! Jeremy and I played with it on lemons and hard bread. We were like a couple of kids on Christmas morning. Then came a stern warning from Jeremy “Marni, do not cut yourself on this knife! Please be careful.” “OH, I will!” I responded enthusiastically.
Yesterday I was happily preparing to impress my neighbors and women from church to a general conference discussion and lunch. I was going to win them over with my culinary skills and fabulously clean house. Just 2 hours before the ten guests would arrive I was slicing an onion, in my hurry and excitement I sliced a chunk off the top of my thumb. And do you know the first thing I thought of? Yup I heard Jeremys voice of warning in my head. Oh man! That wound was spouting blood like crazy and my smile soon faded at the loss of so much blood. While applying pressure with a second blood soaked towel I couldn’t help myself from singing loud
“I’m bleeding out!…Im bleeding out for you”( by Imagine dragons)
thanks guys! love your work!
I texted Jeremy to tell him and he gave me instructions on what to do. He told me he loved me, even though I was clumsy and accident prone. It had been an hour and a half before I could get a bandage secured without it bleeding through layers of gauze and medical tape. But… my party, should I cancel it? Probably. But instead I ran to a neighbor Emily, and asked her for help. She came over right away and finished chopping vegetables for lunch, and then she swept my floors. Thanks to her, we were ready at noon! It wasn’t what I had planned. It wasn’t the perfect scene I had imagined, but it was worth it. We grew closer to each other as women and to God. We all needed that strengthening from those 10 women who came. I needed it. I ended our inspiring discussion with this thought…”recently we saw the prophet of God stand tall and begin to deliver a powerful message. About halfway through, his strength wavered and he began to look as if he would fall. Right behind him was president Uchtdorf on the edge of his seat ready to catch him, along with millions of church members who were praying for him to be okay. I know there are those in our neighborhood and all around us who could use our strength and support. I hope we can band together as women to strengthen each other here, and then go and give that support to someone who is weak or faltering.”
Somehow, with heavens help and that of a friend, I was able to accomplish the thing I had felt prompted during conference to do. Even a partially amputated thumb couldn’t stop me! Sometimes, even when we’re doing what’s right and trying to do something good, bad things happen. I never questioned if the thing I had set out to do was wrong or if it was my fault for getting hurt. It just happened, and I did the best I could with what I had. Late last night when Jeremy came home, he lovingly and tenderly fixed my open wound. He put antibiotic on it so it wouldn’t get infected. He was careful and gentle. When I thought I would pass out he told me “it’s okay honey. You’re okay. “ He was so worried about me and my pain. Even with an upcoming physics exam he was losing his precious sleep to check on me. He was better than any doctor or nurse I’ve ever had!
(so in the moment I didn’t think “hey, lets stop to take a photo of you bandaging my thumb while I sit here on the floor beside you ready to faint!” hmm go figure. But in this moment of him comforting Kate after she got hurt, I see a glimpse of his kindness toward me)
In every situation I try to ask what can I learn from this? 🙂 Here is what I learned.
- Ree Drummond makes a really good knife. I proved it.
- When we need help, it’s okay to ask.
- In our earthly journey, we are warned of upcoming danger from a loving Heavenly father. And even when we don’t mean to, we will make a mistake. The results can be painful. We should immediately turn to him for help. He never says” I told you so” he just stays by our side, kindly fixing our wounds.
…But you know the best thing I learned? I felt what it is like to have a man who takes care of me, who protects me, a man who cares more about my needs more than his own. And that my friends, is what marriage is all about.
