Unexpected blessings

Over the years I can see where many of my disappointments really turned into blessings instead. This has happened with job changes, moves, and so on. Often I prayed for one thing and got a whole different answer -- yet the blessing is so clear. We prayed to be able to live in the area with our family. God firmly closed that door. Instead He moved us south.. which opened us up to homeschooling, moved us closer to Christ, led to a church where Jim accepted Christ and so on. If I had my way who knows what would have happened?

We've had this over the past year with vehicles. We had a major repair to the van, followed by a major repair to the truck. The trucked died a few weeks later. We sold the truck and felt blessed to get a car - save gas, etc. The car died a few weeks later. We worked like crazy at trying to get another car. Many of you in r/l and on yahoo lists with me remember those prayers in the summer. I desperately wanted to be able to see my family in July. We really wanted to see our family!! It was a daily prayer and we praised God when we found another vehicle. We did make it on the vacation and had a wonderful time. We were able to see grandparents and get closer to my sister's six children -- Joseph *still* talks about his "buddy" Alex!

After the vacation... the car died a few weeks later.

Notice a theme?

We didn't give up, but we did stop for a while. I admit, my pride was a challenge. I knew it meant giving up park day. Our park day has been a vital part of our homeschooling! We have been doing it for almost seven years in various locations. I posted about it weekly, encouraged many moms to attend, and so on. It was (is!!) very important to me. It was upsetting to drop it from the calendar and just pray that someone would take it over. Due to being an 8 member family with a 7 seater minivan we can't share a vehicle.

God is good!! A few moms have KEPT it going - yay! We look forward to joining them again when possible. I'm so thrilled that park day hasn't been dropped... not only that, but it has grown. I know it is a blessing to many, it has always been a blessing to me.

With a great big leap of faith I talked to Jim about doing a weekly open house. Hospitality is not my gift. I know people with the gift of hospitality - they're amazing!

Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 1 Peter 4:9-10

Hospitality: The act or practice of receiving and entertaining strangers or guests without reward, or with kind and generous liberality. American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1830.

After reading that definition I have to wonder if I'm practicing hospitality at all! Maybe not? I know I'm rewarded by it. :) Our reward has been huge! Just today we were rewarded with fun sweet playmates, laughing moms, and yummy food to share.

I'm very humbled that these moms are willing to make the trip to my house weekly. I love sharing one day a week with them. The quilting is fun, but the fellowship is key. The friendships are priceless. I always thought I'd practice hospitality when everything else fell into place - perfect house, landscaped yard, nicely matched dishes, flylady flying, and so on. That was never going to happen. God is good. He found a way for me to get over my hospitality hangups ;)

And just today I learned a brand new family to SC (moving tomorrow!) is coming to our home for Thanksgiving dinner. It won't be Martha Stewart, but it will be our version of hospitality. Would I have ever gotten over this hump if we had two vehicles - or even one that fit everyone? Maybe not. I was really happy with our weekly park day out. I couldn't imagine inviting folks to drive way out in the sticks to my place. Yet, that's exactly what happened. God is good. Have I mentioned that?

This Thanksgiving already feels like a special one. We're thankful for having a home we can open to others. I'm also thankful to be able to return a blessing to another family. When we first moved to SC a family invited us over for Thanksgiving dinner. The mom totally flubbed the turkey (she started from frozen), we couldn't fit all around the table, and dinner was quite late.. but we all had a great time. Maybe because we don't have family in the area we treasure our friendships all the more. We're also missing a church fellowship due to vehicle issues.

So, we're blessed. Even when the world says I should be feeling less than satisfied, I can see where that's so not true. We have six wonderful children - and we're open to God to bless us more! We have a home that will fit extra folks, even when it seems impossible (5 moms and 15 children today!!). We have Jesus who showed us real sacrifice. We have a God that encourages us and equips us for whatever challenge set ahead of us. I'm also thankful to have the maturity to realize that this year isn't what I had planned.. yet His plan was SO much better.

Thank you God for blessing our family. Thank you for our friends. And thank you for the lessons we've learned this year as we remember to let YOUR will be done, not ours.