Just Listen

BY WILLA SIEMEK

Circumstances that create pain and hardships have a way of changing us. They either strengthens our lives, build our faith and develops our character, or weaken and/or destroy us. Reaching success or failure in our lives has little to do with those circumstances; but more to do with our faith, attitude, courage, and the choices we make going forward.

So many who fail will blame it on their circumstances while others will rise above those circumstances. Some focus on the blank walls they are facing while others look for a way to get around it, over it, under it, or through it.

Becoming a Mom very early changed the focus of my life and brought me to God. Learning to listen to God had the most impact when it came to marrying the right man. So much of how we see ourselves and who we become depends on that one decision. It has been said that over 70% of our happiness or misery comes from “who we chose” as our life partners.

For many years, love was difficult for me and based more on superficial performance not on real accomplishments and ultimately my insecurities.  I would see other people who seemed so confident in their relationships but that seemed so foreign to me. You see, “The loneliest moment in life is when you have just experienced that which you thought would deliver the ultimate, and it has let you down.”  – Ravi Zacharias

I found myself longing for truth, respect, appreciation and just knowing that I truly mattered to someone. Life had sent me plenty of reason to doubt and to settle for less than what I needed but God had bigger plans for me.

In 1994, after years of being alone and struggling to do the right thing, I chose to take a chance on love again. This time it was different, it wasn’t based on a look or a feeling, this time it was on what I knew to be truth. He was an honorable man, responsible,  respectable, a man of integrity, and values. A strong work ethic and equally as strong was his desire to be a role model to those around him.  His heart was kind and he truly cared about other people.

One of the greatest gifts God gave me in Vern was a man who believed in “me.” He looked at me not only with unconditional love but as a person of great value.  His confidence in me and his willingness to invest in my life spoke volumes. His confidence in me strengthened my confidence in my own worth. This new found self worth inspired me and led me to an even stronger desire to help others. Watching him love his family and my family, and someday our grandchildren as his own, endeared me even more and brought such admiration.

We recently celebrated our 22nd Wedding Anniversary. So many things have changed in these 2+ decades and yet so many things still remain the same. He still intrigues me with his gentle ways and kindness. He respects me and others; his compassion flows when he senses a need. I feel warmth and comfort when I hear his voice. He aims to make everyday special. He still cares about what’s important to me!

Being a strong woman hasn’t hindered this relationship at all, in fact it has created more of a desire to help others overcome their painful past and see that Gods plan is perfect if we just listen.