A PAUSE FOR GRATITUDE - VOL 03

These past few weeks have been especially...tricky. However, that seems to fit with the theme of life we've been given. So many unexpected things have come up that it kinda made my head spin a little. Sometimes it's hard for me to publicly share about the things going on in life. Not because I don't want to, but because I have trouble sharing it well. I want to be the kind of person who is open and honest about the challenges I face, but I also don't want to be the kind of person who is marked by constantly voicing my frustrations. Because I genuinely don't feel frustrated. I feel grateful. As hard as these last two weeks have been, I ended up having everything I needed to get through them and so much more. I have so much to be thankful for and the provision from the Lord in my life was such a beautiful gift of grace. There has been so much loveliness and beauty mixed in all the crazy.

This all started out with getting pulled over for an issue with our tags that we were unaware of. We've had issues with our mail for some time (that's a long story) and we missed a letter requiring us to send copies of our drivers license. Since we failed to do this, our insurance was suspended, along with our car registration. I was on my way back from my dear friend's house and was barely out of her neighborhood when I was pulled over. Because the tags were suspended, the officer ended up taking possession of the plate. Since we are a one car family, this left us needing to drive around town to get everything fixed but without a way of getting around. In spite of this challenge, we had everything we needed to start taking care things: my friend Erin allowed us to keep our car at her house while we figured everything out. She ended up driving me home across town and offered to help in any way. Another dear friend Abigail allowed us to use her car to drive to all of the places this week to get things done.

Last weekend we planned to go out of town to spend time with family in NC. I had an appointment scheduled to get my hair done before we left. This has become such a luxury and maybe get it done once or twice a year. (Much different than the days when I was working as a cosmetologist.) I was looking so forward to it. Because things were crazy, we contemplated canceling it and spending time on other things. But we decided last minute we would keep the appointment. You would never guess, when I went to leave and pay for the service the receptionist told me that someone had taken care of everything and that I didn't owe anything! I was floored! I couldn't believe it.

As the week came to a close, we were pushing hard to get everything done before it was time to leave. Since our car is a little older and nearing it's end, we have been using points and renting cars whenever we take a road trip. Well, to shorten a long story, the reservation was messed up and they lost our rental. They tried getting us in a different rental, but because of the holiday weekend, they couldn't get us in the right size vehicle. This felt like the icing on the cake for this week. We were contemplating if we would be able to go. However, friends (once again) stepped in and cared for us. Caitlin offered for us to take her SUV for the weekend so that we could get some time out of town and see our family.

Then, just yesterday I was driving across town to meet some of my friends. While driving on the highway, our Kia just completely quit. It stopped accelerating and just drifted in an instant. Thankfully I was able to find an opening to coast across 4 lanes of traffic and safely stop on the side of the road. A bottle feeding, taking Emet to the bathroom, and a tow truck later - we were back at home and reassessing what everything would need to look like. Once again, my dear friend Caitlin offered for us to use her car while we get things situated and figured out.

We still have a lot to figure out, and there were *a handful* of other very tricky things that additionally happed these last few weeks, but there is more to be grateful for. I'm not under any illusions that everything always turns out the way that you want it to. In fact, that is rarely the case for my story. However, things happen for a reason and for our good. Here are 3 takeaways from the last two weeks.

• I'm thankful for the generosity of friends and the care they extend to me and my family regularly. I sincerely hope that I'm able to be the kind of generous and servant-minded friend to others that they have been to me.

• I'm thankful for the unconventional and unexpected ways that the Lord meets our needs.

• I'm thankful that even when things don't work out the way I hope it would and when things are challenging - that it is working out for my good.

Whether in plenty or in lack, the Lord has given me everything that I need. And for that I feel an abundance of gratitude and thankfulness.

|  Credits: Author & Photography - Jacintha Payne |