God in the Everyday Things

I've been having a rough time lately. Things in my life have felt pointless and overwhelming at times. About two weeks ago, I finally had a time of "letting it all out" to my poor husband, who I am so incredibly blessed to have with me. He let me cry and cry and say some things that I'm sure made him wonder what in the world he'd gotten himself into! Through it all, God's grace has been renewed in my spirit. Although there are still overwhelming moments in my days, especially when I think about some of the upcoming events of our lives, I am starting to see God again in the everyday things:

*We've had only one vehicle most of our time here in Bakersfield, which has caused a lot of juggling and inconvenience. Then, a few Sundays ago, our only vehicle's transmission died on us(it's under warranty, but that's another story). My awesome, faith-filled husband didn't freak out (like me...sigh) but instead turned it over to God. We got rides to church, which was such a blessing, and that day in church, as soon as the service was over, a family of 2 of our Junior High students offered one of their vehicles to us to use for a week! Aron had just been praying about it moments before, hearing God say, "Don't worry. I've got this." And He really did. That family's offer to us was a direct answer to prayer!

*Because we've had only one vehicle, we knew the time had come (thanks to our tax return :)) to look for a second vehicle. Because we have four children (and are in the process of becoming certified foster/adoptive parents), our transportation choices unfortunately limit us to big gas guzzlers. So Aron started searching online for something that could accomodate us now and in the near future and decided a used Suburban would be our best choice. He found one on Craigslist here in Bakersfield that was priced higher than he thought it should be, but for some reason, he kept coming back to it. He called the number on the ad and set up a meeting to see the truck. Long story short, the owner of the truck is a strong Christian who is friends with several of the families at our church. Aron and he discussed the price, both agreed to go home and pray about it, and talk the next day. Despite all the "coincidences" I was still undecided and so the owner allowed us, before purchasing the vehicle, to take it home for a night!!! What?! Who does that? Well, probably needless to say, we are now the owners of that Suburban which we bought for over $1000 less than what the owner was asking for it. God again.

*A couple Wednesday nights ago after church, we were given a gift of $75. Now, if ever someone out of the blue decides to give you money, it's a blessing, right? Of course. But this family has been struggling some financially and the mom had been out of job for awhile. And not only did they bless us, but they blessed another family that night too. $150 is a big deal, especially when it's as a sacrifice. God once again.

*Wednesday mornings are busy for us....Anna goes to preschool at our church (another God provision, by the way), the boys go to enrichment classes at their charter school, and I have Bible study at church. So just yesterday, I decided to run through McDonald's to grab the boys, Libbie, and I lunch before we had to pick Anna up from school. Because we've always lived on a very tight budget, when we do go out to eat, we try to get as much food as we can for as little money as possible. Therefore, Happy Meals are an extremely rare treat. But, I had a coupon for a free Happy Meal! So I got myself and Libbie a meal to share and the boys each a Happy Meal and since Anna eats lunch at school, I figured I'd just have to explain a little to her if she was upset about missing out. But she was very sweet and understanding and didn't fuss one bit. As the boys opened their Happy Meals (very enthusiastically I might add ;)) and immediately forgot that they were "starving!" as they searched for their toys, Caleb noticed that he had two toys! A Batman toy AND a girl toy! Now, I know that's not that big of a deal, but it's just another way I can see God. Anna got to have a toy that was totally unexpected and she was a happy little girl. Thank You Lord, for even the accidental, extra Happy Meal toy!

I hope to return to blogging more regularly. I read many other friends' (and strangers') blogs and just haven't felt up to it lately. But as God is renewing and refreshing me, I feel ready to share again. And I was able to get some free gift cards from different "points" I've earned and will definitely be buying a new camera (my month-old, generously gifted camera was broken by my boys a month after moving here...ugh!) so that I can do a better job keeping y'all updated with pictures of the kiddos!

Keep looking for God in the everyday things....He's there and He loves to be noticed!