When I was in my mid-twenties, I had a major crush on a guy. I was friends with him, his brothers, and a whole group of people, but I seemed to be the only girl he had around him all the time.

He was studying to be a missionary, and I was all about wanting to be his helpmate in that mission.

"Helpmate" was always one of my most favorite parts of a wife's job description. I always wanted to be a helper to whichever man I married.

Turns out, the guy was using me to get to my roommate. They got married, ended up pregnant, and all the mission work was scrapped. 

I was heartbroken because I had prayed and prayed for the conclusion to this friendship I wanted, but at my most honest, I prayed to be a helpmate to whomever I ended up marrying.

Fast forward a few years and I marry my husband. The guy in the wheelchair.

Cue God giggling. He answered the "helpmate" prayer.

Now, before you think I'm complaining, I managed to hook one of the most independent men to ever land in a wheelchair. Usually my helping falls in the category of getting things down from shelves, bringing him his dinner after he's gotten in the recliner for the evening, or as welder's helper when he's trying to build a fence. That kind of thing.

For eleven years, my job has been relatively easy, and the "helping" hasn't been one-sided.

This is the man who will go get me french fries for when I'm on a migraine hangover and nothing else sounds good or countless other things that he does for me on a regular basis.

But. 

This past Thursday he suddenly had extreme pain and loss of movement in his elbow. We had to go to the emergency room to figure out what was happening.

After hours of waiting, somebody finally put it together: man in a wheelchair + not being able to use arm/elbow = bad.

It's only tendinitis. He'll be better in a couple of weeks. But his independence is now coming into question. He's 54. He's not getting any younger.

I don't know what the future holds, but I know this was part of what I signed on for. So I continue to pray to be a helpmate to my husband and hope that everybody is up for the challenges.

I am continually grateful that God has a sense of humor.