Days 1 through 7: A Week-long Peek Into Our Lives

This week we experienced More Than Enough evidence of God’s provisions for us

Day 1: As I type this my hands are happy to be free of their dirt-encased-garden-glove prisons and nestled in a pair of sunny yellow moisture gloves with a fresh layer of Arnica Essentiel Hand Cream from Yves Rocher. I am correcting my typos as I go since I barely pass as a typist without gloves! Today’s goal of weeding, trimming, and re-planting our front yard was cut short by a clear signal from our womb-dwelling son straight to my pelvis that he was quite finished with my bending, crouching, and squatting. I got the message and decided I needed to shower and straighten out the main bedroom before our new acquisition arrives:

We will very soon be the grateful recipients, proud owners, and blissful users of a FREE king size bed. This is an item of material value that I used to associate with only the wealthiest and spoiled-est of folks. I was raised sharing a bed with various sisters until only the youngest of us were at home and I was able to have my own room. My bed was a ¾ full, not even a full size bed, but I was happy with it. Now I don’t know how I’ll manage to fall asleep with all the extra inches...

Day 2: Last night I slept as soundly as I could have hoped, which is a tremendous blessing. We had to buy a sheet set for the bed so we tried finding something affordable at Target without success. We had purchased our quilt and sham set from Sears from wedding money so we decided to try their bedding department. And there it was: the funkiest, striped linens I’ve set my eyes on since I was a big-haired teen in the 80’s. But that wasn’t the thing that made my eyes pop. It was the price tag of $5.49. A whopping 90% off of the original price. I asked Bill if he cared about the style, which he didn’t, so we toted our purchase home happily thanking God for His provisions of colorful bedding to put on a free bed.

Today I began working on one of several sewing projects I want to finish before our little boy makes his grand entrance. Along with flannel crib sheets, a blanket, and a heart-shaped cushion for Elizabeth, I have a curtain I have wanted to sew for our master bath. It’s a light silver gray linen weave fabric and I planned to put shirring or pleats into the sides. A friend of mine has graciously allowed me to borrow her very easy-to-use sewing machine so I set to work on it today. I should say that I sew as well as I type, which definitely would not land me a job as a seamstress, but I can get by. All this is to say that I am grateful that I have access to a fine piece of equipment without costing me anything.

Day 3: After a difficult day the biggest blessing came at the very end before I fell asleep. I went into Elizabeth’s room and gave her a hug and kiss. She said, “I’m so glad I have a mom like you.” This comment came after a long hard period of chastisement. The joy of the Lord was definitely my strength because I was finished, physically, mentally, and emotionally. And He was everything I needed.

Day 4: A friend of mine invited me and the kids over for lunch and gardening. Apparently she trusted my pruning ability with roses and allowed me to work on two very tall and large bushes that are growing in her yard. She was nearby weeding around the ivy and we talked about the spiritual analogies between gardening and what God does in our lives. Another friend joined us later and we ended up having such a precious time of fellowship. I realized, once again, how incredibly rich I am in friendship. I am so deeply thankful to God for that.

Day 5: This morning I could hear the timid pattering of raindrops on the rose leaves outside our bedroom window. These have been oppressively hot days and I had come to the place of actually saying out loud, “I hate summer.” I really don’t but there is much resentment to overcome when the house is already warm by mid morning and yard work gets stricken from the list of things to do because the heat has become downright unsafe. So as I retrieved beach towels from the deck rail and brought them indoors to tumble dry, Bill came out of our room and we stood together looking out at our backyard. Neither of us said a single word. We just knew. We are blessed.

Day 6: We actually enjoyed being able to buy some things we normally wouldn’t just because we really wanted to be frugal. Bill received a promotion in his job which earned him a higher wage retroactive to June. This will be somewhat short-lived as he is filling a position formerly held by his supervisor who is manning an interim position. Among the purchases was a refrigerator. Believe it or not, this appliance was very necessary in our home as the one we have been using literally freezes our assets in the form of very poor energy efficiency. It has a malfunctioning seal and drips water into the bottom of an old diaper wipes tub which has been filling up every two or three days. There were some arrangements to be made before we could take it home but while Bill and I discussed the logistics of financing and transport I felt such a deep sense of security in knowing that God was providing for our needs even in big ways. And I felt so safe knowing that I could trust in my husband’s decisions in this and so many areas of our life. He is wise and thoughtful and I know that he prays to his Father about our family every day.

Day 7: After church we invited another family to join us at Alfy’s. What blessed us the most about this was that we see this family on quite a regular basis and it didn’t surprise me in the least to see them seated at our table with a couple of Bibles. The topic of study centered around the verse in Matthew 18:20 where Jesus says, “For where two or more are gathered together in My name, there I am in the midst of them.” What an incredible thought! Jesus is present with us when we gather in His name. He is near to us in our struggles and sorrow but also in our achievements and joy. He places people into our lives to share these moments with us so that he is glorified. This week I have been seeking reminders of how much God cares for us. It is so true that with Him we have more than enough.