The Lord is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds. The Lord upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand, satisfying the desire of every living thing. Psalm 145:13b-16
This morning I spent half an hour untangling a ball of yarn. As I meticulously pulled at the threads to try to get the knots out of the mess, these words were running through my head...summer and winter, seed time and harvest...great is thy faithfulness. The broken phrases are from the hymn "Great Is Thy Faithfulness." I can only believe that the Holy Spirit placed these words in my thoughts this morning for a reason. Lately, life seems to be as tangled as that ball of yarn.
As we expected, Kevin's initial application for disability was turned down. While we knew that would likely be the case, it still felt like a blow to the gut. He is now chipping away at the next round of paperwork to appeal the decision. In addition, Kevin has become a shoulder to lean on for others. He listens, he encourages, he tries to help where he can. Some days, though, their voices make it difficult to hear his own thoughts and to have a moment's peace.
For me, school and work are feeling overwhelming. Just when I think I've gotten a little bit ahead, I'm two steps behind. It also didn't help that I got rear ended on my way to work one morning. Now, I've got the hassle of dealing with insurance and getting my car fixed.
Of course, piled on top of this is a constant concern about money. We continue to try to find ways to save a few dollars. Maybe we buy a different brand of something. We eat less meat. Or, rather than eating dinner out (which we only do about once a week), we eat lunch out. That can save $10-15. Or, as we've done all along, we learn to do without something else. I'm planning to start some fall vegetables in the garden. Anything we grow ourselves will help. With everything else, though, we're just hoping for a bit of a break.
As I worked to put my yarn back in order, and as I heard the words "great is thy faithfulness" over and over again, I was reminded that no matter how tangled our lives can get, there is always a way through it. I got the yarn untangled. And, God will always be there to help me untangled life's challenges. One strand at a time, through prayer and perseverance, the knots will come undone.
This morning I spent half an hour untangling a ball of yarn. As I meticulously pulled at the threads to try to get the knots out of the mess, these words were running through my head...summer and winter, seed time and harvest...great is thy faithfulness. The broken phrases are from the hymn "Great Is Thy Faithfulness." I can only believe that the Holy Spirit placed these words in my thoughts this morning for a reason. Lately, life seems to be as tangled as that ball of yarn.
As we expected, Kevin's initial application for disability was turned down. While we knew that would likely be the case, it still felt like a blow to the gut. He is now chipping away at the next round of paperwork to appeal the decision. In addition, Kevin has become a shoulder to lean on for others. He listens, he encourages, he tries to help where he can. Some days, though, their voices make it difficult to hear his own thoughts and to have a moment's peace.
For me, school and work are feeling overwhelming. Just when I think I've gotten a little bit ahead, I'm two steps behind. It also didn't help that I got rear ended on my way to work one morning. Now, I've got the hassle of dealing with insurance and getting my car fixed.
Of course, piled on top of this is a constant concern about money. We continue to try to find ways to save a few dollars. Maybe we buy a different brand of something. We eat less meat. Or, rather than eating dinner out (which we only do about once a week), we eat lunch out. That can save $10-15. Or, as we've done all along, we learn to do without something else. I'm planning to start some fall vegetables in the garden. Anything we grow ourselves will help. With everything else, though, we're just hoping for a bit of a break.
As I worked to put my yarn back in order, and as I heard the words "great is thy faithfulness" over and over again, I was reminded that no matter how tangled our lives can get, there is always a way through it. I got the yarn untangled. And, God will always be there to help me untangled life's challenges. One strand at a time, through prayer and perseverance, the knots will come undone.