Lessons from last week...

Last week was a Jami FOR SURE!  Now that the insanity has settled down to a gentle simmer, I stand in awe-struck wonder at the way God's fingerprints were ALL OVER the insanity of last week. It was a GREAT reminder to me that:


And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.  Romans 8:28. 

Or the Jami paraphrase:  What Satan means to be our defeat, God LOVES to turn into our victory!

Ways that God left His fingerprints all over my crazy week last week:

*Auntie Marge fell on Wednesday morning at about 10:15 a.m. I was supposed to be at Physical Therapy for my Achilles tendon at that time; however, because my mother was in the hospital, Gramma spent the night at my house and I cancelled my appointment.  If I had gone to physical therapy, who knows how long Auntie Marge might have laid on the floor in agonizing pain.

*We have been slowly and casually leaving the children (boys only NOT Hannah... she'd burn the place down in < 2.2 seconds) home alone while I run to Mayville for a QUICK trip to Piggly Wiggly.  They have done VERY well with that responsibility.  So they were PREPARED to stay at home for a little bit with Gramma Hilly while Hannah and I ran Auntie Marge to the hospital.

*When Auntie Marge moved here, she needed a doctor. Mom sent her to Gramma's doctor on the south side. But that was not an optimal situation.  She was living an hour away from her doctor AND as it turns out that doctor was not the best one for her... he probably should have tweaked her medications a little because the dosage on one of the was WAY too high which led to a VERY low heart rate which is VERY likely the reason she fell... regardless that's all kinda babble... here's God's fingerprint:  she landed in the care of THE MOST amazing doctor in the WORLD!!!! (If you live near Hartford and are looking to be seen by the MOST amazing doctor in the WORLD, look up Dr. Tye at the Aurora Clinic... AH-MAZE-ZUH-ZING!)  Dr. Tye is tweaking her meds, taking good care of her, and providing AWESOME bedside care... She REALLY, REALLY likes this doctor and he is SO kind to her too!

*After Auntie Marge had surgery, she was going to need to be transferred to a Rehab Center for Physical Therapy and Rehab. My family wanted to have her rehab at the nursing home near them (in Greenfield), which made sense in the natural:

---5 families sharing the load of visiting an elderly relative is easier than 1 family doing it
---my mom is her power of attorney, I am just her daily care giver... it made sense to put her nearer to her POA
---we've had a trial run of that center because Gramma Hilly was there before
---I have a friend who works there

But my spirit was VERY unsettled about Auntie Marge being that far away from us.  I was not trying to be selfish, but I really felt that for HER healing and motivation to get out of there it would help for her to be around the family she lived with ever day.  Not wanting to cause a feud, I just presented my feelings to my mom and then prayed.  I prayed, "God you do what YOU want, and make it ABSOLUTELY clear to ALL of us that YOUR will is being done."  Later that day, mom called to say that there was not a bed open in Greenfield.  Auntie Marge was going to the center in Mayville!

So now here's where I attempt to wax poetic... or at least make this make a little sense.....  Last week was HORRIBLE!  Seriously it was... there were SEVERAL times where I was just bawling, unable to handle even one more tiny hiccup in the plan.  But through it all, He was right there... He was working things out... He was weaving His loving plan through all the fear, pain, tears, and stress...

Guess what?!?!?!  He's there for you TOO!  I know you feel tired!  I know your body aches!  I know you are sick and tired of struggling through this SAME EXACT TRIAL!  But He is THERE!  He is leaving His fingerprints ALL OVER your situation!  You just have to look for them.  Sit back and look for them.

You know I watch WAY too many crime dramas on TV.  I fancy myself an amateur sleuth of course.  Well I was just thinking about how Gill Grisham's peops sprinkle that powder on the surface they are fingerprinting, brush away the excess and then the fingerprints STAND OUT.  Do that today... Sprinkle the powder of God's word on your situation... use a little meditation and contemplation to dust away the excess... and then look and SEE God's fingerprints standing out!  I promise you if you look hard enough, they are THERE!

God bless everyone and have a GREAT day!