This year has been one for the record books so far for our family. My husband quit ( in a joint decision) a good paying over the road job that kept him from his family, to take a less paying job that cut our income in half. A few months after that he was injured on the job ultimately snapping his acl tendon in half and shattering the tip of a bone. But i remember thinking t could have been worse since the job before put him 200+ feet on tall buildings and he could have got injured there causing him to plummet to his death, but fortunately that was not the case. We faught for months for workers comp, and still struggle every once in awhile to keep on them about paper work. Durring all of this we still were working with getting our taxes in order, which were messed up not once but twice by the company who did them and had to be managed through the IRS. Needless to say, 2013 was a financial and physical nightmare!
While all this has happened, I kept asking myself why. Why us, what had we done, and when would it stop? An answer kept ringing in my ear saying, keep your faith and hang on! We arent being punished or doing anything wrong, but I kept thinking we are to be an example. Even when thigs were going horribly wrong, we needed to remeber that God was there, it could be worse, and that people needed to see that we still have hope and things to be thankful for and that we didnt blame God.
We have had many blessings sprinkled through our hardships from people who have no blood ties to us, or any need to help us. But they did, out of kindness, out of love and because of their own relationship with Jesus Christ. When we were blessed it seemed like it just came out of nowhere but at the most perfect time. God knew we were going to be ok, despite everything falling apart, He knew, and he sent blessings our way to prove it.
In the beginning of the blessing it started with a package sitting on my porch. I had no idea who it was from, and I wasnt expecting any package, not that size anyways (I get the occasional freebie in the mail). I was skepticle and a little frighted to open a strange box but did. To my complete suprise it was a gift from an old classmate who I hadn't seen since sometime shortly after graduation from high school (im now 32, so a loooong time lol). But how wonderful it was to be thought of! At that moment we didnt feel so alone, or isolated from the world. We were a thought in someone elses mind for no other reason then just because.
We were blessed again and again by our church family when they started to pick us up for church when we lost our van. They helped us with a utility that had been disconnected, and we were racking our brains trying to figure out how to pay it and had already went 1 week wihout it. Again God knew and sent his people to work. At thanksgiving time we were trying to figure out how to put a meal together and recieved a phone call a few weeks prior saying that we would be expecting a complete meal the week beforehand. We started worrying how we were going to get Christmas presents for the kids this year for 6 kids on $400 a week. Again, we were blessed with a phone call asking if we needed help with Christmas almost two days after me and my husband were talking about it. We were beyond blessed when individuals "adopted" our kids and went shopping for them. We were blessed again by a familly that helped us because they were in a place in their life to be able to share their blessing where we lacked. We ended up paying a utility bill that was being shut off that same week. Countless times a cousin and brother have given us gently used clothes (clothing 6 kids is a job in itself, but we love second hand everything, and my kids like finding a good thrift item).
Those are some pretty HUGE blessings! There were also prayers, words of comfort, smiles, hellos, well wishes, and open ears and hearts, which are equally huge because it helps to the core. Its medicine for the soul! Those open hearts make our situation more bearable, it feeds the hope, and reminds us that we are thought of fondly.
I am not writing this for sympathy. I am writing this to inspire people who are troubled, suffering or down, to reevaluate their situation and look for those blessings that might have been overlooked in the mess of things. Look and find those silver linings in the dark clouds. Renew your faith, or find it if you havent already. Cling close to those blessings and use it as a kind of life preserver and just HANG ON! You are not alone in your trials despite how dark and isolating the situation may seem. Wake up every morning with fresh hope, and a feeling of determination and love. When you start to feel down and overwhelmed, dig your heels into the ground a little deeper and stand firm in Gods promise, " Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6
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