Tree of Wife: How God Put Our Million Pieces Back Together

By Anna H. Simeon

Anna has two anniversaries. She is celebrating her 34th with the husband of her youth as well as their 24th reconciled one. Her marriage looks like a donut: there is a two-year-hole in the middle when they were separated. But that is where Jesus now smiles through them and gives hope to other couples who desire to not only survive but thrive in their marriages.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jan 13, 2017
• ISBN: 9781512769616

Anna H. Simeon

While Anna Simeon is tending the garden of her heart, she is happily living a small life with a Big God. She married the same man twice and they call home wherever he is working in North America. A Bachelor of Education degree came in handy for homeschooling their children from Kindergarten to 12th Grade. Gifted as a scribe, she preserves their God-stories and encourages other women to pick up their own pencil.

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Copyright © 2017 Anna H. Simeon.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Unless otherwise marked, Scripture quotes are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotes marked (KJV) are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

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ISBN: 978-1-5127-6962-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-6963-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-6961-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016921136

WestBow Press rev. date: 01/12/2017

Contents

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1 The Happy Circle

Chapter 2 Artist Go Home

Chapter 3 Grandmothers of the Bride

Chapter 4 Keeping the Home Fires Burning

Chapter 5 The Storm Kettle

Chapter 6 Running into the Wall

Chapter 7 Plugging into the Rainbow

Chapter 8 This Cow Can Fly

Chapter 9 The Fellowship of the Cross

Chapter 10 Bottled Joy

Chapter 11 The Lord of my Key-Rings

Chapter 12 Giants in the Promised Land

Chapter 13 Homeschooling and Hot-air Ballooning

Chapter 14 Kitchen Dancing

Chapter 15 Safe in the Loony Bin

Chapter 16 The Sweet Spot

Chapter 17 A Miracle, Signs and I Wonder?

Chapter 18 All My Eggs in One Basket

Chapter 19 Be the Zoo

Chapter 20 God’s Butterflies and Dragons

Chapter 21 Cultivating Mommy Pearls

Chapter 22 Kingdom Co-ordinates

Chapter 23 The Last One on the Ferry

Chapter 24 The Advent of Small Things

Chapter 25 Christmas Stars and Easter Stripes

Chapter 26 Planes, Trains and Those Cruise Liners

Chapter 27 Tending the Garden of My Heart

Chapter 28 Between the Princess and the Warrior

Chapter 29 Be Nice to Your Gollum1

Chapter 30 Living in the Chess Paradigm

Chapter 31 Taking a Fasting Vacation

Conclusion

References

About the Author

Dedication

To the last one

aboard His Ark:

welcome home.

Preface

Dear Jesus, thank You that I defeat Satan by Your atoning blood and the word of my testimony, and not prizing my life above all (Revelation 12:11).

I considered how wise it would be to have my God-stories written down. Not only would it bless my children, to know how Jesus had brought us safely this far, but it would remind me of His faithfulness. It wasn’t until my accident—while convalescing on the living room couch for three months—that I had ample time to begin this project.

The following thirty-one chapters are not written in chronological order. I took a calendar and assigned each chapter a particular day, according to anniversary dates or number themes. For example, we’ve moved eleven times—chapter eleven; we homeschooled for thirteen years—chapter thirteen; and I had twenty staples removed from my ankle—chapter twenty.

My stories intertwine with other people’s stories: family, friends, strangers, and enemies alike. I treasure each person as a gift from God—a good one or a perfect one—ultimately bringing me closer to Jesus. To respect everyone’s privacy, I’ve changed our names and specific locations and omitted full dates.

I’ve included my favorite Scripture addresses—for quick reference to the specific promise of God that I’m leaning on. I teach what I am living (1 Timothy 2:12) so that I can spend the rest of my life living what I teach: Jesus Christ my Savior, Lord and King.

At the end of each chapter there is room for you to answer a question, draw a picture, or comment on something you agreed or disagreed with. Compare what I say to the Bible because only God’s Word is perfect. Ask Jesus for discernment: do not put your trust in me (Psalm 146:3) but place your trust in Christ—the sinless One who hung on the Cross for you. He alone is worthy of our trust (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Introduction

Lord, I belong to You—work in me both to want and to do Your good pleasure today (Philippians 2:13).

Forty-two days before we embarked on a cruise, I began a fast: no television or alcoholic beverages. I was turning down the volume of the world so that I could hear God’s answer to my prayer request. Our vacation finally arrived, we had fun, and then we were back home. But I was disappointed. It seemed I had fasted 1,000 hours for nothing.

I had asked God for a book deadline. In four years, I had rewritten it twelve times. Was I guilty of being a perfectionist? That is a stalling technique the devil uses to prevent God’s will from being done in my life.

Fifty days after we disembarked from the ship, I noticed a lump on my back. It was the size and shape of a quarter. I said to God, Do You see that lump on my back Dear Lord? I knew He saw it but I was letting Him know that I saw it too.

My instinct was to bolt to the phone: should I call my husband or the doctor first? I looked up to God, Well, at least it’s a polite lump Lord—not one on my breast. And it happened to be the day of Mardis Gras. I asked Him, So what do You think of this lump Lord? I decided to give God till the next morning to explain this to me. First thing on Ash Wednesday, it dawned on me: God was giving me the deadline that I had been praying for—maybe even a literal deadline. That was just like Him to be so poetic yet edgy.

If it wasn’t cancer, then my deadline motivation would disappear; if it turned out to be cancerous then there would be a whirlwind of appointments and procedures that would distract me from writing the final draft.

So I pressed the Lent-button.

I would join with thousands of Christians around the world in a seven-week fast, to prepare my heart for celebrating Christ’s gracious sacrifice on the Cross: I would do a silence-fast and not mention my lump to anyone until Easter Sunday.

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CHAPTER 1

The Happy Circle

Lord Jesus, the smile on Your Face is my happiness (Numbers 6:25).

She spelled happpy with three p’s. The card made for me by my ten year old daughter mesmerized me. I didn’t want to ask Yarrow if she had intentionally done that in case it was a mistake. I wanted