One generation shall commend Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works will I meditate. They shall speak of the might of Your awesome deeds, and I will declare Your greatness. They shall pour forth the fame of Your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
(Verses 4-7)
What has God done for me lately? Let's see. I am healthy today, with a beautiful roof over my head. I live near enough to the Pacific Ocean I can walk there in five minutes. My husband and children are healthy and know Jesus. They are well taken care of, as are my grandchildren. We have enough...and enough to share. We have cars to drive, food to eat and meaningful work to do. In the worldly realm, we are blessed beyond what I can even articulate.
The thing God did yesterday, though, was give us an opportunity to remember all He has done for the many years we have been married in terms of taking care of us. Bill's long-term contracting job that has been our mainstay for the past three years was terminated suddenly at the close of day yesterday. The rug magically pulled out from under our feet. It took me back many years to a day when Heather was a baby and I was pregnant with Vanessa. I heard the garage door go up too early in the afternoon, so Heather and I went to the back door to see why Daddy was home so early. "I've been let go," he said as he opened the back door of our orange VW and began unpacking the carload of work stuff that filled our Bug to the gills.
"What?" was my incredulous response. "Don was going to make you a partner! Why did he fire you instead?"
A million things ran through my mind, but primarily I couldn't see how we were going to be able to afford to have a new baby...or eat, for that matter. I was a stay-at-home mom, so I wasn't going to be helping any time soon.
"I think he changed his mind about that and thought I wouldn't work as hard for him if he broke his promise." Bill looked weary for a thirty-one-year-old man. Like he'd been kicked in the stomach. When he came inside, we did what had become a habit for us by then. We held hands and thanked God in this situation...not for it, so much, but acknowledging to God that He knew what happened.
Within two weeks, Bill had another engineering job. However, he was let go of that one before we had Vanessa because he didn't feel he was qualified to do a job they asked him to. Again, what would we do about the baby? I had to have C-sections. At that time, four to five days in the hospital. A second time, no insurance. Within two weeks, Bill had another job. He'd also just finished his master's degree in civil engineering. They loved him so much at UT Arlington that they gave him a night teaching job that paid him almost exactly what we needed to pay the medical bills for Vanessa's birth. Our faithful Father had prepared the way for us long before we needed it.
I don't want my children to remember me for the woman who was always stressed out and wondering how in the world God was going to work some circumstance or issue out. I've spent some time stressing, and I'm ashamed they've seen me that way. Today I am remembering all of the times, like the one above, that my Father has made a way when there was no way. Has worked things out in the nick of time...the very last minute. The wisdom we can hand down over the generations is what we've gleaned from years and years of seeing our God do mighty feats. Yes, sometimes it feels like a shoot-out in a soccer game, down to the wire and we wonder if He'll pull through. The answer to that is a resounding YES!
In this time when I could be convinced by the enemy to cry and moan and wonder if it's all going to work out, I choose to meditate upon all the times the Lord has taken care of us. How wonderful He is to interpose Himself in our lives, knowing all we cannot possibly know, in order to guide us into our destinies and provide for our needs. I know He will continue to love and care for us. I thank Him in this circumstance and look forward to watching my God make all things work together for His glory and our good.
(Verses 4-7)
What has God done for me lately? Let's see. I am healthy today, with a beautiful roof over my head. I live near enough to the Pacific Ocean I can walk there in five minutes. My husband and children are healthy and know Jesus. They are well taken care of, as are my grandchildren. We have enough...and enough to share. We have cars to drive, food to eat and meaningful work to do. In the worldly realm, we are blessed beyond what I can even articulate.
The thing God did yesterday, though, was give us an opportunity to remember all He has done for the many years we have been married in terms of taking care of us. Bill's long-term contracting job that has been our mainstay for the past three years was terminated suddenly at the close of day yesterday. The rug magically pulled out from under our feet. It took me back many years to a day when Heather was a baby and I was pregnant with Vanessa. I heard the garage door go up too early in the afternoon, so Heather and I went to the back door to see why Daddy was home so early. "I've been let go," he said as he opened the back door of our orange VW and began unpacking the carload of work stuff that filled our Bug to the gills.
"What?" was my incredulous response. "Don was going to make you a partner! Why did he fire you instead?"
A million things ran through my mind, but primarily I couldn't see how we were going to be able to afford to have a new baby...or eat, for that matter. I was a stay-at-home mom, so I wasn't going to be helping any time soon.
"I think he changed his mind about that and thought I wouldn't work as hard for him if he broke his promise." Bill looked weary for a thirty-one-year-old man. Like he'd been kicked in the stomach. When he came inside, we did what had become a habit for us by then. We held hands and thanked God in this situation...not for it, so much, but acknowledging to God that He knew what happened.
Within two weeks, Bill had another engineering job. However, he was let go of that one before we had Vanessa because he didn't feel he was qualified to do a job they asked him to. Again, what would we do about the baby? I had to have C-sections. At that time, four to five days in the hospital. A second time, no insurance. Within two weeks, Bill had another job. He'd also just finished his master's degree in civil engineering. They loved him so much at UT Arlington that they gave him a night teaching job that paid him almost exactly what we needed to pay the medical bills for Vanessa's birth. Our faithful Father had prepared the way for us long before we needed it.
I don't want my children to remember me for the woman who was always stressed out and wondering how in the world God was going to work some circumstance or issue out. I've spent some time stressing, and I'm ashamed they've seen me that way. Today I am remembering all of the times, like the one above, that my Father has made a way when there was no way. Has worked things out in the nick of time...the very last minute. The wisdom we can hand down over the generations is what we've gleaned from years and years of seeing our God do mighty feats. Yes, sometimes it feels like a shoot-out in a soccer game, down to the wire and we wonder if He'll pull through. The answer to that is a resounding YES!
In this time when I could be convinced by the enemy to cry and moan and wonder if it's all going to work out, I choose to meditate upon all the times the Lord has taken care of us. How wonderful He is to interpose Himself in our lives, knowing all we cannot possibly know, in order to guide us into our destinies and provide for our needs. I know He will continue to love and care for us. I thank Him in this circumstance and look forward to watching my God make all things work together for His glory and our good.
No comments:
Post a Comment