warning: long post

I got to bed way too late Monday
so I didn’t get off to a super start on Tuesday.
I had a lot to get done;
the house was not in great shape
and we had company coming for dinner
(which we were happy about - but - the house was a wreck…)
I ended up crying
for the zillionth time
“Just once, I would like to have people over and NOT have to clean”
not
because I want them to come to a messy house, mind you
~
Received an e-mail from a comrade-in-arms
(one of the sweet people we do outreach ministry with)
One of the boys that came to Oakbrook ‘church’ years ago
had been in a pretty serious accident.
He was okay, but his best friend was in critical condition.
The simple fact that Connie happened to be at the hospital
to run into Jaycob (whom none of us have seen in a couple of years)
was pretty amazing.
She quickly sent the e-mail out to the troops so we could all be praying.
~
Fast-forward a few hours:
The house was still in bad shape
worse, somehow
and Tony comes in with Lana’s kitty.
She has a fish hook in her paw.
I tried to numb it with clove oil (doesn’t work)
and rubbed the paw & hook down with

grapefruitseed extract to help fight infection

and prepared to extract the hook.
Tony gathered some tools for me.
meanwhile Lily is a CRAB
“I do NOT have time for this!”
~
Backtracking a bit:
Monday night, Lily went to be early - around 11:00
Tyler and Lana were talking, so I joined them.
We talked for about an hour,
then Lana went off to finish schoolwork
and Tyler and I continued to talk

(for another 3 hours)
I was discouraged
about pretty much everything
a friendship that isn’t quite what I thought it was
finances
what difference has any of our outreach ministry involvement made?
I’m not doing enough as a mom
I’ll spare you the rest…..
~
Back to the kitty with the fish hook….
I tried to push the hook through
since pulling it out the way it went in

was out of the question.
The cat wasn’t real thrilled with the process.
I realized I wasn’t going to be able to get the hook out
“I do NOT have the time or money for this!”
Like any wife would do, I called Tyler
Not real sure what I thought he was going to tell me to do..
He wondered if I was thinking of ‘putting her down’
well, goodness, that didn’t seem right!
(although, when I paid the vet
I wished I would’ve just drowned the stupid cat!)
~
So, I took Jeremiah and Josiah
and went to the vet
They told me it’d be about a half hour
and I should go get lunch.
The boys wanted to walk to McDonalds;
I didn’t want to walk across the busy street.
We compromised and walked to Long John Silvers
(which is ridiculously expensive if you don’t have coupons!)
I wanted to just enjoy my boys.
It isn’t often that I am out with just the two of them
so I treated them to kid’s meals
complete with orange soda.
We were eating
and in walks a woman who looks like Jaycob’s step mom!
Come on, what are the chances??
She wasn’t eating - she was just chillin’ in a booth at LJS
I finally got up the nerve to go talk to her.
(and left the boys at the table by themselves
and they were GOOD!)
“Are you, by any chance, Jaycob _____’s step mom??”
~
I was able to let her know that we loved her boy
and that all of us from ‘Oakbrook church’
were already praying for him and his friend.
'Oakbrook church’ hasn’t existed in years,
but our team is still together at Riverwalk.
(I am not actively a part of our team right now,
my primary ministry being to my own small children;
but Lana, Tony, and Brandon have stepped up
and more than filled my former role beautifully!)
~
When we were talking Monday evening
I had asked Tyler
“What is the point? What lives have we really touched?”
~
God used a stupid cat
to remind me
That my job is to love and to be faithful.
Period.
We won’t know,
until we get to heaven
all of the effects of our ministry on earth.
~
As an added bonus
Tony and Brandon had worked diligently on the house
(I hadn’t asked them to do anything except pick up the bathroom
I’d left LilyPie with them, for goodness sake!)
and it looked so much better when I walked in the door.

They had even vacuumed
and they HATE to vacuum!
Thanks, guys!!
~
I checked a few blogs while nursing Lily last night
and visited one that a friend recently introduced me to.
The writer shared a short scripture
Proverbs 3:3
Let love and faithfulness never leave you
~
Thank-you, Lord for orchestrating the events of the day!

When I headed to the vet

it confirmed (at the time)

my suspicions;

God wasn't really interested in blessing me right now!

I looked with my human eyes

at the difficulties of the day-

not enough time and not enough money!

I didn't know that the cat had to get the hook

so that I would end up

at a resturant I hardly ever go to

so I could minister

-however briefly-

to the stepmom

of a child I met years ago and haven't seen in ages

both for her benefit, and mine.

~
Help me to remember that You are sovereign.

~

Let love and faithfullness never leave you