The worst day of the year: Saying goodbye for the season

As I watch my husband say goodbye to our baby girl, squeezing her so tight that she wiggles around uncomfortably, my heart breaks inside.  The day I dread the most out of every year has come sooner than expected for us.  Usually, this dreaded day falls on the first day of spring training; but this year, Raynor has to leave early to rehab a wrist injury until spring training begins. This past season, he injured his wrist and the trainers told him to take it easy during the off-season and maybe it would heal on its own.  Unfortunately, his wrist has not gotten better and the Giants flew him out to San Francisco a few days ago to have an MRI and see their hand and wrist surgeon.  They suspect it might be a TFCC tear which would require surgery, but the MRI can often times be elusive to injuries such as this one which means they would go in laproscopically to inspect the injury.  They gave him a cortisone shot in hopes that it will rehab well and not require surgery.  We knew that this year would without a doubt be the hardest year yet to say goodbye for the season.  When Raynor left for this season, he not only hugged and kissed his wife goodbye but he kissed his 5 month old baby girl and told her he loves her, knowing that when he comes back home, her 1st birthday will have already passed and she will be toddling around the house.  These are the things that most people dont think about when they wonder how fun and "glamorous" it would be to live the life of a baseball family.  I have had a lot of fun traveling around to different states and watching Raynor play and I would not trade our life for anything.  Although it is stressful and emotionally draining to live 1,000 miles away from my husband for 7 months out of the year, I could not be more proud of my husband for pursuing his dream and doing what the Lord has called him to do despite the many obstacles he faces.   As I remember all of the tough trials that the Lord has allowed me to persevere through, I am so thankful for them because not only have they given me strength, but my walk with the Lord has grown so much stronger.  I admit, I am not a perfect Christian.  I don't read the Bible as much as I should, I have my days when I throw myself a pitty party, I have a bad attitude about things sometimes, I say and do things I shouldn't, but the beauty in all of this is that our God is a loving and forgiving God and His grace is sufficient for all of our wrongdoings.  I feel so blessed that I have a God who will not leave me nor forsake me during whatever I may be going through.  This is why I still chuckle to myself every time someone asks me "How are you able to handle all of the stress and everything that has been going on?"  It amuses me because I, myself am not the one who gets me and my family through all of these difficult times, it is the Lord who renews my strength everyday and sustains me until the finish line is reached.  Therefore, even though I know that this baseball season will be the most difficult one yet, I am not nervous because I know the Lord will provide like He always has and always will.