Laced With Grace

This is a post I shared on my blog last week, and I wanted to share it with you here today.
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We were excited to sign the papers to close on our new house on October 11, 2010.  We knew a couple of the rooms needed to be repainted….we did not want bright blue or purple bedrooms!  Plus there were some other things we wanted to do before officially  moving in.  We had it all planned out to sign the papers and then be ready to move in by the end of the month.

Well if you followed my blog last year you know that nothing went as we had planned!  On October 7, 2010, we got the unexpected news from our Realtor that we were not going to be able to sign the papers on Monday.  The delay was caused because the TX Attorney General put a hold on the sale of foreclosures in the state.  I didn’t understand all the legal jargon associated with this…it basically meant though that our plans were on hold because the house we were buying was a foreclosure property and the banks had to verify they were handling the paperwork correctly.  We did not have any idea when we’d be able to continue so we were in a waiting game.

My husband was starting his training for his new position.  We were renting a duplex and had assumed we’d be out by the end of October.  The days went on and on, and it was a very frustrating time.  I remember waiting to hear something, anything from our Realtor each day, hoping he’d have some sort of good news or date for us.  We even got a lawyer involved to try to help us through the process of figuring out our options.  We went to look at other houses as well because it just didn’t seem this particular one was going to work.

It was quite the roller coaster for us all.  We didn’t know what was going to happen from day to day really.  It was just waiting and praying, trying to see what God would have us do next.  Being the planner that I am I did not like not knowing what was coming. I did not like that all the plans I had made regarding the house and where we would live and not wanting to be separated from my husband and getting my son into a new school were not working out like I thought they should from my perspective. I wasn’t angry during this time, I just didn’t like not knowing!

So today I remember how this time last year our plans changed suddenly and without warning.  I remember how God used this time to teach us some valuable lessons about Himself and His plan and timing during the period of unknowns and waiting.  And I remember the verse that encouraged me so much, Psalm 40:1–

I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.

I heard this song called “Waiting Room” on the radio this week, and I was immediately taken back to that time.  Because on October 7 and October 8 and 9 and 10 and on and on when I didn’t know what was going to happen, I still held on to my faith that God had a plan for us.  He had things to teach us and used the time to bring us closer to Him and closer to each other.  We couldn’t see the whole picture like He could.  Take a minute to listen to the song, I hope it will encourage you with the great lyrics.

Looking back a year later, it is still crazy to me how it all worked out.  I think I am still processing it all that we did get to move eventually and are actually here!  The timing of everything fit together just beautifully.  He knew that all along, even though I could only see what was happening in the day to day moment.  Aren’t you thankful that He has a bigger perspective than us?

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”  Ephesians 3:20, 21

Have a day of blessings!

Do you remember as a child looking forward to some special event and counting down the days for the big event? Maybe it was your birthday or a visit from a special relative. Remember how it felt like forever until that day was going to arrive?

Our son gets so excited when we tell him of an upcoming event. Last weekend we were going to watch an ACU (Abilene Christian University) football game at the Cowboys Stadium so all week he was so excited. He kept saying how he couldn’t wait until Saturday.

Lately I’ve noticed him saying those words a lot. ”I can’t wait until….” or “I wish it was….”  One day my husband noticed too and made a comment that he needed to enjoy that day and not be wishing away his life. We told him before he even knew it he would be grown up, and he needs to try to find something to enjoy about each day.

I notice this so much on Facebook as well. So many status updates are people either dreading the end of the weekend and complaining that it is Monday morning or rejoicing that it’s “finally” the weekend, as if the other days of the week are just terrible.

Why are we like this? It’s a question that I ponder sometimes. Are we so discontent with our lives that we can’t even enjoy the present? Are we too busy to stop and make the most of now? Are we constantly looking at what’s coming instead of appreciating the beauty in today?

I look forward to many things as well, and making plans for the future is great. But I think there is a limit to how much focus we should place on the future when it causes us to not enjoy today.

There is a song by Steven Curtis Chapman that has such beautiful lyrics. It’s called “Miracle of the Moment” and you can read the lyrics at this link on his website. (If you haven’t heard this song I’d encourage you to find it online to listen to as well.)

We can so easily look ahead to the next day or holiday or the weekend or the next day off from work that we miss what God has for us TODAY. If we are only looking forward to the future we are going to miss all the little miracles God has for us right where we are.

I will close today with a verse that is probably very familiar to you, yet I think is something we all need to remember.

“This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24, KJV

What little miracles has God given you this week? Today is a gift. Enjoy it and look for all the miracle moments given to you by God.
Have a day of blessings!

Image: renjith krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The crowd at the restaurant was bigger than I had expected for lunch. We sat and waited for our buzzer to flash to alert us we had a table. The wait did not seem to take too long, but I was disappointed when the hostess walked us over to a small round table near the front door where we had been waiting. I commented to my boys how small the table was and how our plates would be so crowded once they brought us our drinks and food. Also I told them how I didn’t like sitting in the area right by the front door. The few tables in that little area had the feel to me of someone’s random decision to throw a few extra tables there at the front of the restaurant to make a little more seating. I much preferred one of the booths….one of the booths we didn’t get!

After a few minutes, I realized I was complaining. All the words out of my mouth were negative!  But I felt like I couldn’t shake my bad attitude. It felt like everything was just wrong for me…the table was small, we weren’t in a booth,the water didn’t taste right,  the waiter acted like he wasn’t going to take my coupon at first.

I said something else about not liking our table. Then my sweet boy said, ”Well, at least we are inside and not outside on this hot day. These chairs are better than us standing up to eat.”

I looked at my husband and told my son he was so right! My husband added a quote he had once heard from Zig Ziglar:  “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.”

I knew I needed to change my attitude, and once I did, I was able to go on to enjoy the meal and time with my boys.

As I thought more about the incident, I remembered the verse in Philippians:

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:5

Was I having the attitude of Christ? Would He have complained that the table was too little? What would His attitude have been?

This was a great reminder to me that we must always guard our attitudes. I’m glad God used my little boy to remind me of this.

Have a day of blessings!