Faith begins with one event...

I can't believe another week has sped by. We live in a time of such haste and waste. Remember when you were young and time dragged on and on. It seemed like forever till Christmas (which by the way is only 28 weeks away). Remember how we would start school in the fall and a lifetime (or so it seemed) would pass before summer vacation rolled around again. I want time to slow down like that again. I remember my parents telling me to slow down and enjoy my youth because it is so fleeting. I wish I had understood. Maybe it takes being a parent to get it. Maybe age just changes time for us. I am not quiet sure. But here we are a week gone by and too many things to get done in ten lifetimes. I wonder if the people who lived in Bible times ever felt like 100 years passed too quickly. Could you imagine? What if our lives lasted as long as people's lives lasted in those days?

OK enough pondering impossibilities.

I want to share how God works n mysterious ways. I know I am not as "spiritual" as I once was. I know some of you are praying for me to find my way back home. Thank you! So, maybe I took the first step on the road home last night. In February my family and I moved into a new home. It is a rental (much to DH's dislike). We live right across the street from DH's Aunt and Uncle. The house is just the right size. We are one of only a few homes in this development that has two bathrooms and an addition of a family room/den. It is such a God thing because originally when we knew this house was empty the rent they wanted for it was way out of our budget. So we never really gave it too much thought. DH's Aunt and Uncle kept trying to get us to look at it but we knew we could not afford it. SO a couple of months went by and the house was still unoccupied. DH thought there must be something really wrong with the house but I convinced him that it would not hurt to look at it. Since we were all living in a one bedroom apartment and I was about to loose my mind. When we came here to look at the property the agent really tried to talk us out of renting it, It was the weirdest thing I have ever seen. She told us everything she could think of that was wrong with the house and then some. Looking back I think she has her eye on the property to buy and flip. But we were not dissuaded because the price for the rent had dropped to well below what was originally asked and well with our price range. We were thrilled. I was glad to have family across the street. We quickly met our next door neighbors and found out they have three children and the younger two are the same ages as my older two. The husband actually knows DH's step father. He babysat DH's step brothers when they were little and grew up with DH's step father and his siblings. Delaware is a very small place. We have since become really good friends with our neighbors. We never really tried to reach out to the neighbors to the left of us though. Maybe because he is a State Trooper and with our crazy dysfunctional extended family cops just are not the first people we pick for friends. So our trooper neighbor and his wife have three kids. A boy who is ten and twin girls that are three. We have always been friendly but never really taken the opportunity to really get to know them. #1Son loves to play with their little boy since he older though sometimes I limit their playtime. But recently (since our puppies came along) we have seen more and more of each other. Just casually in the yard talking for a few minutes here and there. The trooper's wife is a lovely lady who runs ragged because her twins are a handful. Earlier this week their son (I'll call him Lil B) came over and told me his Grandfather had passed away in FL. I sent my condolences and offered my help in any way that it might be needed. Well, Trooper went to FL to take care of arrangements and left K (his wife) home with their kids. All week has been a huge challenge for her. I watch her struggle to contain her girls and manage everything with out her man here to help. offer several times to help her but never get took up on the offer. Until last night she came home and her lawn needed lots and lots of care. I took the twins and let them swim in our little pool and play in the sand box while she cut the grass (DH offered to do it for her but she refused). While cutting the grass Mrs E (older lady across the street) came over with her self propelled mower and set to work the help K. It was amazing how we all came together to help a neighbor who needed a hand. After the lawn was done and I had bathed my children and her twins. We all gathered in her back yard for a little impromptu bon fire weeny roast and marshmallow roast. The kids had so much fun. I made a new friend. K and I stayed up all night (3:30 am) talking on her patio. We shared so many things. It was amazing that God had placed her in my life at just the right moment. We talked about faith and trust in God. Struggles in friendship and marriage. You name it we talked about it and easily! I am so amazed that this family I had decided not to befriend based on an idea of who they might be has turned out to possibly be the reason we moved here in the first place. I saw God working in and through her last night. I can not possibly explain how much our conversations effected me. I know was time set aside for God to really speak to me and to remind me of His unending love for me. It was also a time for me to reflect on my responsibilities as a child of God and a mother and wife. In those hours spent getting to know K and her enormous faith, unjudging spirit, and love, I was remind of who I am. I am barely able to put it into words. I know the ripple effects of last night will be felt in my spirit for years to come. I know more than ever that we live right where God wants us to be. I am excited and scared. I know my journey home started last night.

There are other events I could write about today. Mundane musings of motherhood. Ponderings of the great unknown and such things. But this faith journey of my life clearing a path I have not walked in a long time. It may not be an easy walk. In fact I know it will not be. But I feel a peace in my heart that I have not had in years and years. What is God calling me to do? To be? I don't know the answers yet. But I feel peace and love today for the first time in so lone. I am basking in that knowledge.