wilderness Chick-fil-A

I have so many precious pictures from these last days that barely sum up all the happy noise and joyful moments! Dad's grandkiddos love the stuffing out of one another, and throwing them all together in one house with freezing temperatures for 3 days (that turned into 4.5 days!) was a GIFT.  Cindy joined us for a few of the days, and I'm just thankful for all the good memories and echoing giggles and precious family.

I don't say this often, but the house with 8 tonight was awfully quiet!  There is nothing better than a sister-friend.

Lisa and Adam are safely home to Philadelphia tonight, Cindy to Florida and Matt is almost to Aspen...only 48 hours later than planned, dozens of delayed and cancelled flights, and a good 30 hours in Dallas. Whew.  The fridge is empty and our hearts are full.

We were blessed out of the blue tonight with a woman I've never met dropping by Chick-fil-A for dinner, and while she apologized profusely for a store-bought meal, it was one of those Hagar moments for me. Low on energy and food and single-parenting--all realities she was entirely unaware of--God saw me and the kiddos and took care of me beyond what was necessity. He showed tender, loving, extra care, resulting in rejoicing, giddy teens with a jumbo tray of nuggets, and a damp-eyed mama with crazy hair and paper plates.

I don't know how He does it, again and again, with so much to see.  

I guess if His eye is on the sparrow, sending one of His daughters with the right meal at the right time is no stretch.  We are no stretch for Him, family, not even in our weakest, neediest times. He rejoices to search us out in our wildernesses and tears and rejoices to give us living water. What grace.

I guess He can be trusted with Matt, 22 hours away, resting and healing and being poured into, being seen. I guess He can be trusted with my sister and precious nieces, short on family and big on His heart. I guess He can be trusted with these seven dear ones I tempt to worry over, GOOD plans for them each that I can't mess up. I guess He can be trusted with this new season of stepping out on Him in new places with new people in new ways, not on our own strength and understanding. 

This is how we grow, and how good He is to grow us!