Sometimes I feel discouraged...
This weekend we planned a last minute escape for our little family. Nothing dramatic. Just an escape from the stress of life. We went north about 4 hours to visit some cousins and we were looking forward to just enjoying a bit of time with our children.
3.5 hours after we left home, we got a call telling us that the 62 cattle on our yard were now in the neighborhood... scattered all over. An irate neighbor was trying to find what he could, but didn't think much could happen since it was almost dark. Chasing cattle in the dark is usually not very effective.
Suddenly, our calm relaxing weekend was no more. Thanks to many, many friends and neighbors, 61 of the 62 cattle were back in their barn by 12:30 that night, 3 hours after we learned they'd also tried to escape for the weekend. The last 1 was found the next morning in irate neighbor's pasture. We praised the Lord for a miracle, and we're so very grateful to the many people who helped Him work that miracle. The knots in our chests loosened and gradually we relaxed once again.
We spent a beautiful Saturday on the water. It was just what our poor tired and stressed selves needed to remind us that God really does have our best interest in mind. Sunday morning we had a lovely time at church, meeting old friends and making new ones.
After a relaxing afternoon, we loaded everything up for the drive home. We were an hour from home when we again received a call that the cattle were out. Not long before, we'd been thanking God for allowing us to have a restful weekend, even with the drama that happened Friday night. We'd been discussing how hard it is to get quality time with our family when every spare nickel we can make is needed to help pay the bills that never stop coming. And now, we were once again plunged into a swirling nightmare of upset neighbors, cattle escaped, and we aren't at home. 1 hour or 4 doesn't really make you any less helpless.
Once again, a gracious crew of friends and neighbors helped round them up and they were back in the barn in less than an hour. Steven and his friend, who owns half the escaping cattle, listened as a neighbor expounded on everything wrong with the fence. ( He had some good points, but he also admitted that when he started out with livestock, he didn't have everything perfect either, because let's be honest, you need money and time to make everything perfect, and 2 young men working day jobs to pay bills don't have much of either.)
I am intensely proud of my husband, his calm and his humbleness. I, on the other hand, lacked all of the above. I would like to make use of a punching bag for awhile, or bury my head in a pillow and cry angrily at the unfairness, or explain to God that maybe He could let the misfortunes happen to someone else. It feels like every time we have a sparkle of hope, that gets ripped away.
So today I am reminding myself, we are rich. We aren't homeless or hungry. We have vehicles to drive, and we could pay for the tank of fuel to go on a weekend vacation. We do travel to visit our families, and we are blessed. Our dreams may or may not ever become reality, but for now, we are right where God wants us, misfortunes and all.
Instead of impulse buying a punching bag, I'm going to aggressively mow the lawn and do laundry and prep for camping with our delightful church family. I just had to remind myself that I am blessed.