The Hidden Blessings

The unexpected, extended time with our kids has been a hidden blessing during this tough season.

It’s almost surreal how life goes on after cancer turns everything upside down.

Meals still need to be made. There’s always laundry to do. And if you live in the country – cows need to be feed, fences fixed, and hay baled.

And Jan wasn’t able to do any of it.

That’s where the kids stepped in.

Thankfully, Nate is still living at home and has taken on the biggest share of the outside work. But his siblings won’t let him carry that load alone. Every weekend, whoever is available shows up. Sometimes just one, sometimes a whole crew.

Every weekend.

They’ve mowed the lawn and trimmed, moved fences, chased cows, cleaned pastures, put down mulch, helped in the garden and picked up groceries. Whatever needs to be done, they do it.

Jan is right outside with them. On good days he’s fixing mowers, talking technology, and playing with the grand baby. And life seems almost normal.

On not so good days, he does more sitting and watching. Laughing at Indy’s shenanigans, and just enjoying the loved ones around him.

Savoring each moment.

Thankful for the precious gift of time and family.

A hidden blessing in a tough time.

Moving Day

It was moving day again at Windy Ridge.

Another chick has flown the coop!

Thankfully, she didn’t fly far!

Anna is renting a house about 25 minutes away, closer to church and friends, but a little farther from work. Far enough away to be independent, but close enough to see often.

She’s spent the last month finding furniture, figuring out utilities, and otherwise preparing to be on her own. And I searched my cupboards and went to garage sales to find the necessary kitchen items – important things like a cheese grater and pizza cutter and ice cream scoop.

This is our fourth child to move out – and the most complicated move. The other kids just packed up their cars or trucks and waved goodbye as they drove out the driveway.

But this move involved furniture – heavy furniture – that needed to be transported over 4 miles of very dry and dusty gravel roads.

This move needed dad.

And he orchestrated it all with finesse.

It took two cars, a pick-up and a borrowed enclosed trailer that we pulled down the gravel roads at about 20 mph so we we didn’t kick up dust -but we got it all delivered, unloaded and arranged.

Now our chick is setting up her own nest.

We are so excited for her!

Bits of Stolen Fluff

At a recent Bible study, a friend shared a story of her young daughter who had taken a pair of scissors and cut up the comforter on her bed.

When my friend discovered the damaged quilt hidden under another blanket, she was not happy! She shook her head in disbelief and asked,”Why? What were you thinking? Why would you cut up your comforter?”

Her daughter responded, “Because I needed the filling inside to make a pillow for my dolly.”

My friend was beyond frustrated as she thought of all the batting she had just down the hall in her craft room! She had an abundance of what her daughter needed! It was just sitting there, ready to be used!

But her daughter never asked.

Instead, she took things in her own hands and did irreparable damage to a comforter.

She was left with a pillow that would not last. It was just a folded handkerchief stuffed with bits of stolen fluff instead of the beautiful, pillow that her mother could have helped her make.

After we had all laughed and commiserated with this mom, I immediately thought of how often we act just like this young daughter.

We see a need, whether real or imaginary and instead of going to our heavenly Father with that need, we take matters in our own hands.

We cut and paste and scheme, leaving behind a trail of damage and hurt and frustration.

Our feeble efforts are never are good or as eternal as the ones we leave to God’s hands.

They are just bits of stolen fluff wrapped in our own devises.

Our Heavenly Father has everything we could ever need.

All we have to do is ask.