God Always Provides, Even with the Most Unusual Things...

So, yesterday was Heather's birthday.

I had been saving up to buy her a massage table.

First of all, I have been really into giving massages to people ever since we started doing that in the theater world back in high school. (funny, my football team never gave each other massages! hmmmnn...)

Anyway, anybody who was reputed to be good at giving massages, I would ask them for advice on how to do it. I learned a lot before I got out of high school. Then, as I was involved in the acting world, my theater compadres would always ask me to give them massages. I also used to give my little brother full body massages the day after his football games. He was a defensive end, and would get beat up a lot.

Then, I used to give them to friends in college, and on trips for the music department.

But then I started dating, and then married, Heather. Heather has some serious muscular tightness, stemming from two car accidents she was in. The first of those accidents, when she was 17, was bad. She was rear ended by a semi driver who had fallen asleep, and did not notice that traffic had all but come to a stand still on the highway. She was taken with the jaws of life, and was in the hospital for a long time. (i don't know how long.) She was told she would not be able to walk the same, and that she might not be able to have children. Her recovery was very slow, until she started seeing chiropractors. She has told me many times that chiropractic saved her life, and allowed her to heal in ways she just wasn't with any other medical methods.

Anyway, I have often wondered if part of my training in massage was providential, in the sense that God was 'preparing' me in one of many ways to be Heather's husband. I know that her parents were praying vigorously, all throughout Heather's life, that her husband would go through preparation to help him be a good husband to her.

So, massage is something I can give Heather. When I worked in the business world, I had a few moments where I made pretty good money, and would buy massages for her. But it was funny how sometimes she would tell me that they didn't "get the spots" like I did. And as I continue to give her massages, I have several weaknesses.

1) Timing. The only time that usually fits, (and where she needs it the most) is late at night. But I, as many of my friends know, am a morning person, and not a night person. And I often either lack the energy to give her any kind of decent massage of any length, (sometimes I get tuckered out at 3-5 minutes!) or I massage her while laying next to her and I fall asleep. I have been looking for a solution, and the best one for ME, is to massage her early in the morning, where I can give her a top-notch massage for an hour or more. But as much as she would LOVE to get a massage in the morning, she would MUCH rather just keep sleeping because she knows as soon as the children wake up, bye bye sleep!

2) Location. For the kind of massage that Heather needs, I can't just use a small amount of my strength, like I would on chorus trips where I would give neck and back massages to people sitting up next to me, or in front of me. I need to use all my strength...not all the time, but to effectively attack, crush, and smooth out the knots in Heather's back, sometimes I need to engage in a serious massage workout. Well, to use strength from a position of weakness creates challenges. An everyday example of this is carpel tunnell syndrome. That is the result of people using muscles (even though small) from a position of weakness. Well, the same thing happens when you use all your strenght massaging from a position of weakness. There is no viable option in our house. Our bed is awkward to do it for a long period of time. It's awkward to give the kind of massages I want to on the couch, or with her sitting on the floor in front of me.

So, I have often longed for a massage table. It is the perfect location for me to give Heather's back the KIND of attention it needs. Plus, I will be standing up, without bending over and putting strain on my back. And since I am standing up, I cannot fall asleep, since I will be getting into the massage. Make sense?

Well, I have been trying to save for a massage table all year. They sell them new at Sam's Club for $150, and that wasn't an option. So, I was looking on Craig's list, and ebay, and such, but the timing and pricing of them never matched my savings. It's hard to keep saving for a massage table when you need to buy food for your children, or when your power is going to go out if you don't pay your bill. Plus, most people who sell them, assume that the people buying them are going to use them for a massage business. And let me just say, people sell things to businesses for more money than they sell to indviduals.

BUT--as I would talk to people about my desire, someone said, "I have a massage table!" She trained to be a masseuse, but never followed through with it, since more important things (children) entered her life.

So, she wouldn't sell it to me. She said that since it has been in storage for YEARS, that I could just borrow it indefinitely!

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Prayers answered! (and in ways I never would have predicted!!!)

So, I was all excited to give Heather a massage last night, but I fell asleep on the couch, and she just prompted me to go to bed. But tonight, ooooh, tonight I plan on giving her the massage of all massages!!!! I can't wait!!!!