In EVERY situation....


I just received a phone call and I can't even tell you what a relief it was.  You know those moments when you don't even realize how stressed or worried you were about something until things fall into place.... and THEN you fall apart?  It reminds me of the sweet videos circulating on youtube of the military fathers coming home to their children and the children melting into tears at the sight of their daddies.  


So, let me back up.... In July, my third child was born.  A month later, I was barely beginning to get into the groove of having three children when Hurricane Irene hit and flooded us out of our house.  And I'm not talking a couple of inches... the water hit the ceiling of the first floor of our home.  Thankfully we had enough warning and had been able to move all of our belongings out, but in an instant we were displaced.  For a week my husband searched tirelessly for a place for us to live until we could figure out what we were going to do.  The Lord provided a beautiful home for us to rent... just at the end of 7 days.... when I was about to lose it (going to restaurants to use the bathroom and nursing my baby in our car was beginning to get to me... not to mention my 6 and 4 year old children who were needing some sense of normalcy).  


Knowing we were in this house temporarily, we only unpacked the kitchen and necessities for our bedrooms and living areas.  In the midst of house hunting,  I had been trying to get my kids back on a normal schedule with our home-schooling, with meals, and regular household obligations.  We found a house in October and began the process of obtaining a mortgage.  Everything was moving along very smoothly until the final week leading up to our closing date.  Then one thing after another happened to make me wonder if this was really the move the Lord would have us make.  That brings us to last night.


I was at a women's event for our church and at the end, I just really felt the need to have a precious friend of mine pray for me.  I went to talk with her but there were a few people already waiting, so I decided to just go on home.  I took a few detours before getting to the door and as I was heading that direction, my friend was heading toward me to go out the door as well.  I grabbed the opportunity to ask her to pray.  This sweet woman of God prayed a prayer that just seemed to wash over me and be exactly what I needed... as if the Holy Spirit was interceding for me through her (which is exactly what was happening).  More than anything she prayed for a season of peace for me and my family.  I embraced that and was holding on to it for the rest of last night and into this morning.  I just kept reflecting on her prayer and believing that is what God has for our family for now.  


I look around.  Our entire house is in boxes.  Poised to move.  And we CANNOT get a commitment from the lender.  I have been feeling like our life is on pause.  And we can't move forward on anything until we are settled in our permanent place.  So I just began fervently presenting my request to the Lord.  Basically begging Him.  Lord, please, let us be able to move this week.  About 2 minutes into that prayer, the phone rang.... it was our mortgage broker... we are set to close on Thursday.  I burst into tears on the phone with her, shouting Thank You Jesus!  And when I hung up I just began to cry.  Sweet tears, to my sweet Jesus.  He is so good to me.  The reality of Phil. 4:6 hit me then.  I have been hesitant to pray specifically that the Lord would move in this situation because it seems so insignificant in comparison to other things I devote my prayer time to.... orphans in Sudan, friends that are in need of healing, someone anxious about a miscarriage.... but His Word says "in EVERY situation, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.."  I tend to minimize my requests because there are so many others out there that are so much more important, but that's not the point.  


The point is that we have a sweet and GOOD Father who longs to be gracious to us if we would just bring our requests to Him.  And every once in a while I need to be reminded of that.  And perhaps, so do you.