Let's see, to set the stage my in-laws are in town and my mother-in-laws parents! Not that this is a bad thing, I actually like them and even enjoy spending time with them; however it stills adds stress to my life. Not really sure why, it just does. The it was approaching "that time' of the month and since I hit
OK so Monday rolls around, the orthodontist calls and informs us that Early Birds fixing of his broken brackets will now cost us $25 each time he needs a repair! He's had braces for 4 months and lost 11 brackets! This after I've already paid way to much for this whole procedure anyway! I express my frustration before letting poor Kelly the receptionist know "Dad will be handling this from now on", which in my head I know really means "Dad will be in for one appointment, then it's back on my plate again." Monday afternoon I say yes to a last minute babysitting favor to a friend and then proceed to entertain, feed and pack up 5 kids ages 8 mo, 5, 8, 10, and 13, to head out AWANA. Did I mention hubby decided to take his step dad out shrimping that night? I was flying solo.
Tuesday we woke up to no water. Our water pump just didn't have it in her to keep up with us. When I went out to check it and "flip the switch", obviously losing water is not a new thing at the Span Ranch, only this time the switch didn't need "flipping", it needed a drink or something because it was smoking and smelling like something I'd never smelt before. Anyway, hubby was called and quickly left to come home and fix this problem- praise the Lord after a full day of work we got hooked up to city water! Anyone living with FL well water knows why this excites me! Although as he's hooking the water up and digging the ditch in my front yard I'm praying that the smell in the boys bathroom that I've been blaming on the well water is in fact the well water and not urine stained tile and grout in hidden areas that will only be removed by a renovating of the bathroom. Although a renovating of the bathroom wouldn't be bad, wait no we're not ready for another project, plus I'm holding out on that one until after the boys move out!
Anyway, Tuesday afternoon I am surprised with the lovely duty of picking up and tending to hubby's partner's kids while they all go shrimping again, this time with the hopes of actually catching some shrimp. What was it that the Bible says about putting others needs above your own? being submissive to ones husband? I pressed on that day, even when my dryer decided to not dry my clothes in 40, 50 or 60 minutes anymore instead, especially if jeans are involved, it takes much to long for me to even recall.
Wednesday arrives and my vacuum decided it would take a vacation, a brief one and then it took another one. I love my vacuum although it's a hand me down from my mother and I cannot remember a vacuum before this one, so that dates it at about the age of the flood, or the battle of Jericho, but hey who's counting age here! By Wednesday night I'm beat, my mind is fried, dog hair has nicely coated the floor so it looks like carpet and the thought of talking to, listening or being around children/adults or animals is enough to make me want to barf, so instead I send my family off to Cub Scouts and Youth Group without me. The silence of the evening was like a little taste of heaven. I listened to some praise music, danced enough to freak my dog out and actually felt good enough to fold some laundry and happily greet my family when they arrived home!
By Thursday I just didn't have it in me to make the trek to my in-laws condo so I bowed out and sent hubby down there for lunch as my peace offering - they were thrilled! Early Bird went in to the ortho to have his braces removed, oh yeah, dad made the ortho appointment on Monday and it was decided that the braces would come off, we'd be given a retainer and then surprise, we'd get half our money back! Yes after only 4 months and stopping treatment 18 months early Early Bird has straight teeth and a retainer to boot, hmmm what were the other 18 months for?! After dinner out with the fam, massive amounts of errands, including a house call with my mom (a notary- God bless her) to get a permission slip notarized so one of my youth girls can go on a youth conference trip this weekend, I came home and cheated at Uno with my husband's grandfather. I gotta tell you it was a blast! We got caught and had to be separated and take like a gazillion cards as punishment, but it made me laugh and that's what I needed.
So today came, my hot water was out, my dryer still acting funky and I began to give praise. I've been reading a book called 31 Days of Praise and it has really pulled me through this week. When we offer up Praise to our Lord it changes things. It changes things here in my world, helps put a new perspective in my ear, it helps calm my heart and mind; perhaps the greatest thing it does is put praise into the spiritual realms. See all these events could have been used to put a bad taste in my mouth for God. I tend to lean toward a "why me" attitude, toward feelings of "bad things always happen to me", towards feelings/thoughts and emotions that are not of God; instead when we give our praise to God it frustrates Satan, it reminds him that God is still supreme in spite of all his evil efforts. Couple that with scripture and it rocks!
So I'll go into this weekend letting you know things have a way of working themselves out. My bathroom smell is gone, my dryer still drys, my vacuum works, my hot water miraculously returned, I have a son with straight teeth and bonus money in God's checking account he's allowing me to use. One of the greatest thing I learned this week is that inner peace comes not from trusting who I am but instead from trusting who I'm not- taken from a Ginny Owens song. May you too look at your situations from a God perspective.
Well, off I go to a weekend with the youth!
Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their mind"
Psalm 149:6
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