Its late and I just got home from work. The house is quiet, save for a cat that is determined to headbutt me into a migraine and the pacing of a little dog trying to quietly raid the trash cans for used tissues. I have the house and my thoughts to myself..........
There are alot of things that spin through my mind, sometimes so fast I can barely process one before I'm 2 or thoughts behind. So much has changed and so much will change in the next few days, weeks and months. Oh the changes! Sometimes they are positive and sometimes they seem so negative, but they are changes none-the-less. They have shaped our family and changed our outlook on life.
Why would I want to push the reset button you ask.......the answer is not as obvious as it may seem.
With so many changes that we have experienced it would be so easy to be a Jonah. It would be easy and to some people righteous sit and pout and ask God why so many "wrong" things have happened to us:
"I work a full time, second shift job where I hardly see my family during the week."
"I have to wear a shirt and tie even though I hardly see anyone during my 8 hours of work."
"The apartment is cluttered with papers, toys, and dishes all the time."
"We had to move out of our house and start renting an apartment closer to the city but further from family."
"Lucy (our Saint Bernard) and Princess (our cat) have found new homes thanks to our new living situation."
"Isabelle is fighting colds this fall and winter."
"Isaiah was sent home today with a stomach ache, the nurse said the flu is going around."
"We had to sell or give away many of our things to be able to downsize to fit into a 3 bedroom apartment."
"Everything is more expensive and the cost of living is only getting worse."
"We pay over $1,000 a month for childcare expenses (even with me working second shift)."
"We could have saved $500 in childcare each month but Jes' work is unflexable."
Should I go on?...............
RESET BUTTON!
This is what I mean when I mention the reset button. Sure I could dig myself into a deep pit of dispair with everything that has happened, but amazingly the opposite has happened to us. I don't need a reset button of my life.....I have been given a reset button of perspective.
We currently attend Grace Church in Eden Prairie after leaving our Buffalo Covenant family as a result of the move. I do admit that things have been a challenge for us since mid summer but our move to Grace Church was the exact thing our family needed at the time. Our pastor just finished a series on the Lord's Prayer and is currently leading us through Philippians 4. The Lord brought us to Grace to speak directly to us and our situation.
This experience though has given me a different perspective on things though. Pastor Troy Dobbs has challenged me not only in my relationship with God but also to in his power to provide and care for our family. We have been encouraged to approach our situations/challenges with a different attitude. In order for my attitude to change, I need to change my relationship and understanding in the power and provision of God.
I have so much to share with you and so many stories of how my God has provided for our family over the past few months. Stay tuned for those stories in some of my coming posts. I will leave you with this though: Remember the list of changes I gave you early on in this post? Let me share with you how God has pushed my reset button lately.
"I have a full-time job that pays well and has overtime that is more than available."
"I am learning to maximize my time with my kids and wife on days off and weekends."
"My shift is perfect for my sleep schedule (I am a night owl)."
"I work at a company where professional appearance and behavior is encouraged."
"I have only a 12 minute commute to work and our family time has not really been impacted"
"Lucy and princess went to good homes and are well taken care of."
"Isabelles colds have not impacted her mood and our family has been fairly healthy as of late"
"I got to spend time with Isaiah today and still worked a full shift."
"We were able to not only sell some things that we didnt really need or use as well as help others who were in need."
"God has provided greatly for our needs and we have been able manage well with what we have been given." (More stories to come)
"Isabelle is enjoying preschool and playing with kids her age and Isaiah and Audri have a great afterschool sitter"
The RESET button........sometimes a reset is just what is needed.
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