Grace, Mercy, and Peace

OK...it's Saturday night and I'm just looking back at this past week. My conclusion is that It's been a l...o...n...g week. I started this post on Tuesday but have had one thing after another come up. Andy got sick with a virus that gave him red blotches all over and three nights this week we had school events to attend. One question comes to mind....Doesn't it seem like everything is done so far in advance in our world?....Swimming suits in March, school supplies in July, Halloween in September, Thanksgiving....what's this?....Christmas starts November 1st. It's completely CRAZY!!!!

It's the same with re-enrolling kids in private schools. This past Wednesday and Thursday we re-enrolled our kids for NEXT school year. It's only January; This year of schooling still isn't paid for and they want me to figure out how I'm going to pay for next year...and put $100 down on it! It's only by the grace of God that we'll be able to still send Kristin to Martin Luther next year......... The words of 1 Timothy 1:2 ...grace, mercy, and peace take on a whole new meaning when talking school tuition and financial aid.

I still haven't found a job but trust me, it's not from lack of effort. Just yesterday I sat for two and a half hours filling out an application with specific district questions. Apparently I was supposed to find 40 to 50 minutes of uninterrupted time to fulfill the process of submitting this application. Whoever came up with this process...program...whatever...was NOT a mom. Every time I left the computer idle for more than 20 minutes to fulfill one of my many roles as 'mom', the program sent me back the beginning of the section. Unfortunately, it didn't allow me to save my information until each whole section was complete. Ugh!

Sometimes life seems so overwhelming doesn't it? I feel like if I just had a job and we had enough money life would be so much easier.....Katelyn would be able to get lessons for the piano and guitar again, the kids would be reassured that they're going to their same schools next year, Matt's medical bills could be paid up to date, and all the things around our house we've been putting off fixing until we 'get money' would be taken care of. It's at times like this, I have to remind myself that God is in control and what He desires to give me...He will...and what He desires to withhold from me...He will. I guess there is nothing left for me to do but trust Him and wait for his will to unfold. I'm just not that good at being patient.

I know I'm not alone...a lot of people and families are having a hard time making ends meet in our current economy. A friend of mine told me last Sunday, that her family might have to sell their house and actually downgrade to afford to eat and pay bills. We're at that point too if I don't get a teaching job soon. I feel that I'm at position in my life where there's nothing to do but wait on the Lord and rest in His promise that all things will work together for good.

Today I'll pray that God grants me, and all others who need it, patience when we need it most and that He shows us His will through our current circumstances. We're not forgotten...His grace, mercy, and peace are with us each and every day....we just need to remind ourselves every day - God's will never leads us where His grace cannot protect us. Even through these l...o...n...g weeks.