Unexpected blessings..

I'm not sure if anyone else can really understand it...

but I'll attempt to explain it anyway.  In this last week I have been blessed by the generosity of multiple people.  And I don't take it lightly...I am seeing it for what it is - God's reminder that He has his eye on my family and that He continues to dote on us with His extravagant LOVE.  His reminder that even though I don't always get my way and life hasn't turned out the way I had planned it would, He still sees, still knows, and still cares.  Sometimes He shows His LOVE by a technique called "Tough LOVE" {otherwise known as "Sorry, you aren't going to get your way on this one, even though it looks like your motives are pure...I see something you don't...so, 'NO'."  And sometimes He shows His LOVE by heaping blessings upon us that we can explain in no other way but that He is GOOD.  I've had THAT kind of week this week...and here's the proof:

A little background...

About a month ago a light came on in my car indicating it was almost time for an oil change...again.  I had a quick conversation in my head about the need to make an appointment to get it changed...again.  But I was pretty sure that, like always, this kind of annoying maintenance ritual would get pushed aside for something that is just easier to figure out.  {Note to self: it's not good to ignore the need for an oil change for too long, even though the thought of taking it to the garage and paying someone $30 to do it is depressing}  ANYwho...that same day I logged onto my email account and found a notice from my church saying that the men would like to do a free oil change for the single women of the church.  

WHAT!!?

 Last Saturday I had an appointment at the church at 8:15 to have my oil changed... FOR FREE.

And while one of guys was under my car he glanced over at my tires and saw what I've known for some time...4 bald-as-a-baby tires.  He was about the fifth man who's walked past my car and told me they needed to be replaced, so I knew it had to be done.  But as mentioned above, this fit in the category of "Too Hard To Figure Out...so ignore it."  This particular guy happens to have a family with an Auto Shop and immediately asked how he could help and started searching for a set of four for me.  

{Second note to self: next time I buy a new car I should ask whether the tires are a standard size, or if, in fact they are a Performance Tire of a specific size that costs twice as much as any other regular tire on the market.}

Not only did this guy find me a new set of tires, but he offered to install them for me.  Not only did he offer to install them, but he also spoke to someone else who offered to PAY for the tires FOR me.  No kidding, I'm not making this up...PAID in FULL {Even though they were ridiculously expensive compared to standard tires}  As of yesterday my car is sporting a set of tires with traction fit for a queen...

This is Doug {He wasn't wearing the shirt and tie yesterday}...you can find his family's business HERE.  He is the Children's Pastor at our church...he LOVES kids and he LOVES Jesus...and if you spend even two minutes with him, you'll see what I mean.  And here's the thing about Doug that I found out just this morning.  When Doug took the full time job at our church he basically had to stop working at the family business because you can't be in two places at one time.  But, this week, if I understood it correctly, Doug took a week's vacation from his job at church so that he could work at the family business for his BROTHER -so he could take a week's vacation from the Auto Shop -which he would not otherwise be able to take.  Are you following me here?  The man took his own vacation time to work for his brother so that HE could have a vacation...and in that vacation time he installed tires for ME...for FREE.  

THAT is AWESOME if you ask me.

And, if that isn't enough of God's provision and blessing to float your boat, then keep reading:

My computer has been showing some kind of warning message every time I turn it on.  The message might as well be written in Portuguese because it's all foreign to me.  It's probably been there for about three months and I've begun to see changes in the performance of the computer....such as the weird setting issue with my blog in the last two weeks.  I've asked several people if they have any idea what I should do, but no one seems to get it any more than I do...so, as is the usual pattern, I ignore it and hope that it just does what I need it to do when I turn it on..

  Last night, while trying to determine if I had it in me to sit at a football game {if you visit here often you know  that THIS is how I feel about that.} I got a call from some former youth group students who are only in town for a few days, asking if they could come hang out with me.  {Uh...YES, OF COURSE!}  I had a great time catching up with these beautiful sisters who have just precious hearts towards Jesus.  We talked, ate taco salads and nachos, talked some more, had brownies and ice cream....and talked some more.  Along the way I mentioned the funk that my computer is in, at which time the older of the sisters perked up to the challenge and spent a couple of hours cleaning and reconfiguring my mess of a computer. 

 Today it is working effortlessly..no foreign message taunting me or anything.  Not only that, but she gave her sister and I a huge lesson in all things computers and I actually learned some awesome things I never knew about my computer.  

{Can I say "One Note" in Microsoft Office...seriously, you should check. it. out.  It will blow. your. mind.}

Like I said...I'm not sure it's possible to explain it so that you really "get it". Cars and computer are two things in my life that I just need to work when I turn them on.  I try to take care of them to the best of my ability...just having them is a privilege...but there are some things that are just out of my realm of knowledge and it can literally render me paralyzed when I try to figure out what to do about them when they don't work properly. {I'm sorry...for the English scholars who enjoy critiquing my writing style and lack thereof, I KNOW I totally just violated a host of rules with that 56 word run-on sentence, but I'm just trying to make a point here}

God knows ALL OF THIS, there is no doubt in my mind.  He saw the dilemma way back before I did, and HE orchestrated things behind my back so that this day would come when I would see His goodness towards me and know that He has me in the palm of His hand.  It shouldn't surprise me a bit...and yet it always does.  I've spent twelve years as a single mom just trying to keep everyone together and the household running smoothly....but try as I may to do it all...I just can't. Which is precisely the reason why God continually reminds me to MOVE OVER and LET HIM.  

If you've read this far into this post, then I should apologize that it took you this long just to get to the point of it all...sorry for the eye strain and for the fact that you've probably had to listen to several songs in the background that have nothing whatsoever to do with this post.  {sorry, the song about Kittens only makes sense if you read the LAST post!}  But, let it be known that God sees the things that stump us and already has a solution BEFORE we even know there's an issue. 

And, to those who have blessed my family this week, 

THANK YOU 

THANK YOU

THANK YOU.

You may not even realize what a big deal it is...but hear my words here 

IT 

IS 

HUGE

...and this is my hope for you today...

"The generous will prosper;

      those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed."

Prov 11:25