The good stuff

None of us like going through trails- but inevitably they are a part of life. No matter how far and fast we run to avoid pain, avoid the hard stuff- it somehow still seems to find us. It seems like we can just be going along with our day, doing the best we can- and wham- something happens that brings us to our knees.

The place where we need to be more often.

God is crazy cool like that.

Having our house broken into was one of those moments. Just minding our own business, doing the very best we could, moving along, working our hardest- then it happened.

But what I have discovered is that while I am on my knees, God is working in some amazing ways that could NOT have happened- would not have happened, if we hadn't gone through this trial.

We do have $1,000 deductible on our homeowners insurance- so yes, we have a loss that hurts. However, the blessings of seeing God's hand at work has been SUCH A GAIN.

Yesterday at church we had Carson and Havyn dedicated. The service was beautiful and just knowing we had so many people 'dedicated' in helping us raise these precious babies of ours on God's word was such a gift in itself. Our pastor even wrote a letter to both Carson and Havyn that was sealed in an envelope to be read on the day they are saved- when they ask Jesus to be their personal savior. I cannot tell you how much it meant to us to have that support and be able to feel that love from our church family. Having the blessing of teaching Carson and Havyn (as well as our other children, of course) about Jesus is the most precious gift in this entire world.

God allowed us that privilege.

Really, what more could we ask for in life?


But He didn't stop there...

The children in our church pulled together and surprised Kallan by having a bake sale at the end of the service to earn money to replace the $120 he had stolen from his piggy bank during the break in. Seeing the look on Kallans face when they announced what they had done put me in tears. Kallan has such a gentleness about him. He is one of those kind of kids who never complains and never asks for anything. Actually he never once said a word about loosing his money but was upset about the girls necklaces from Guatemala being gone. That is just the kind of kid he is. So for him to be able to see his friends pull together out of that same kind of love for him was so touching. A blessing and a lesson we would not have had if we hadn't gone through this trial.

God is just so good like that.

He always has the very best for us- even during the hard times.

And one more thing I wanted to share...

The day our house was broken into I had been downloading some pictures and I had left my lap top on the kitchen counter... just about a yard away from the pickle jar.

The pickle jar that was visibly full.

The pickle jar that had over $1,000 CASH in it.

The pickle jar that we had been putting money into for months for the Pass It Forward Adoption Fund.

The pickle jar that had more in it than my lap top was even worth.

The pickle jar that was God's idea.

The pickle jar that is still there- FULL- even after the break in. Untouched.

Because somehow the thieves missed it...?
or overlooked it...?
or ignored it?

But you and I know better than that don't we?

Proverbs 2:8
for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.