When Life Happens...

Last week was a pretty insane week. One of my sisters is going through a hard point in life, so she and I decided to trek down to Louisiana for a weekend off (she had some other things to do, I visited cousins, friends, and grandparents). One of my brother's girlfriend's mom discovered that she has pretty serious breast cancer (please pray for Mrs. Linda!), and my dad got some negative health news as well. Add teaching 2 days plus a houseful of colds/fever going around and yeah... that's how my week went. Writing was wayyyy on the bottom of things.

But you know what? As each new piece of news struck us, all I could do was give a little grin.  And it wasn't a sardonic grin. It was just... "Really? Wow... just how much news could a family handle in one week? What will we hear next?" 

It was also amazing. It could have easily been a very depressing week, but instead, all I could see was God's hand and His miraculous blessings on our lives. I really think that God had prepared my heart with listening to Choosing Gratitude. The hardships of life look different when you're looking at them through eyes grateful to God of all the blessings He has bestowed upon our lives! Yeah, it's been a tough week--more-so for certain family members than for myself--but God's grace is still sufficient, and He is good. All the time.

Oh, and guess what the week of bad news ended with? A nephew!! Yep. God saw fit to make the week end with happiness (my sister-in-law took the all-natural route so no induction). Sorry, I can't share pictures publicly, but trust me: Adam is the cutest, most adorable little infant there is! (And I'm not wholly prejudiced; many of our family and friends say the same thing) After waiting for what seems years and year for "our life to move on" (i.e. siblings getting married and having babies), here we are! And it truly seems like it all happened quickly--not after a decade of waiting. God's timing is perfect, and seriously, it is wholly worth the wait. My siblings are all striving to follow God in their relationships, and so far, God has spared our family from much of the heartache that happens when people get impatient and try to take matters in their own hands.

So, writing week? No. But is it a week I'd live without? No, not really. Because in weeks like the one I just lived, it reminds me more and more of the great God that I serve and His hand over anything that happens in our lives. There is really nothing better I can ask for in life.