Thankful, Day 8

Today (and everyday), I'm thankful for God's providence. First, He sent His Son to die in our place and to carry the cross we should have had to bear. We are no longer in bondage to sin; we are slaves to righteousness! Thank You, Jesus, for taking our place!

Secondly, I'm thankful that He always provides for my family. If I could tell you all of the miracles He's done for us, you would be dumbfounded. Even when things seem terrible, He turns them into something beautiful.

Example number one--last month, Michael accidentally caught our kitchen on fire. It was a relatively small fire, but then the firemen came and blew thick, black smoke through our whole house and out the back windows. It was an absolute mess. Only our stove, a set of cabinets, and the wall behind the stove were destroyed, but every piece of clothing, toy, bedding, rug, furniture, curtain, etc. had soot on it. Fun times. At least we were all safe. Well, out of that mess, I got to replace my stove and hood, with a new stove and an over-the-stove microwave, which we've always wanted! I got a freshly painted kitchen and living room. Every stitch of laundry was washed by a cleaning company and looks like new, and my whole house was cleaned top to bottom for 3.5 weeks. It ended up being more of a gift from God than a bad thing!

Example number two--Most of you probably already know this, but I didn't really want to be a stay at home mom until Kade was born. By then it was too late. We hadn't done any saving to prepare for me to stay at home and Michael's job alone wouldn't cover our bills. I, very reluctantly, went back to work after my maternity leave. For 2 months, Michael and I cried and prayed, and a month before Christmas, Michael suddenly got a new job (completely unexpected) and the salary was more than what we needed. I was able to quit my job teaching at Christmas and start my new career. :)

Then, there are all the little ways He shows me everyday that He cares about our needs--finding an unexpected sale at the grocery store on something I needed, running into the perfect fall placemats at a thrift store for really cheap, calling to pay a medical bill and being told I have a credit. Some people might call it luck, but it happens too often and always at just the right time for it to be anything but God.

He never, ever leaves us begging for bread. He is able to do more than we could ever ask or think--and he does it! And for that, I'm so thankful.