Add it to the List...

This is a loooong blog. But heartfelt and pretty cathartic – for me anyway!

So, Clara and I were driving to meet my mom for dinner tonight. We are across the street, albeit a Busy street, from the restaurant when I start to Smell. It was smoke – or something smoke-like, maybe like burning rubber? We’re stuck at a light and, what?, I’m going to abandon ship with my kidlet in the middle of the street? I, of course, have the images of my friend’s car bursting into to flames (okay, I wasn’t there but Mike was and I have an Active Imagination). We get to the parking lot. Nothing is on fire as far as I can tell, but I get away from that car as fast as I can – well, Clara and I do. Mike comes later – he always comes! – and a belt is torn to shreds; car won’t start (but it will make this Great Noise). We get it towed. Add it to the list. I thought I’d take a moment to share the list and share the way that even in the midst of all the things happening on the list God continues to provide.

1. Right before we leave Midlandia we find out the Explorer is busted up and No one will buy it from us (remember: we have just sold our Civic – the car that would’ve taken us 250,000 miles) and our awesome mechanic said it is not worth fixing. God worked it out, of course, that my Dad was in town to take the Altima up and was willing to postpone his trip a few days so we could caravan. Even if the Explorer broke down, we had a security net. And, we made it up Safe and Sound.
2. Mike gets his appendicitis after like two days of being in Chicago. Because of my Dad’s delay in getting up to Chicago, my parents – fortuitously enough – decided to stay an extra day before leaving for my sister’s wedding. That day? Appendicitis Day. They stayed on extra to take care of Clara while we were in the hospital. And? Mike was still insured through MOSC. God is continually providing!
3. A major money thing fell through up here. This money thing was a huge factor in us deciding to come up here and losing it has been Devastating. Cost of living, cost of housing…I’m still reeling. Talk about trusting the Lord to provide. I Know He will – know it. And He has already shown us that by the next thing on our list.
4. Our buyer in Midland fell through – the day of closing! Which means we couldn’t buy the house up here we had so frantically searched for. And battles over earnest money. And really feeling like were being kicked while were down. But, I Know that we were not supposed to be in that house. And God in His perfect wisdom was gracious enough to free us from it. (And, He has already provided us with a new buyer – I really think it will close this time.)
5. Clara. Talk about learning to give up control. I am beginning to learn – not just on a theoretical level, but on a “so, this is what that looks like” level - that God’s got her. He’s so got her – got her heart, got everything about her – and I am just blessed, So Blessed, to get to witness it. And, even if I could control every aspect of her environment and did everything Perfectly (which we all know that I really Excel at – you know, Perfection) I still couldn’t ensure that she would turn out Good (whatever that means).
6. The Altima. Can’t wait to see how God provides for this!

I read this book a friend gave me called Homestead by Jane Kirkpactric. While our trials are Nothing like the ones that she endured, I find so much comfort in knowing that God is there every step. Every new “disaster” that comes, God has met it faithfully by showing us so much grace and love. Really, He is just taking my breath away.