blessings and a Good Samaritan

My heart is thankful, so thankful today, for...........

- anger outbursts (Peter's) that disappeared as mysteriously as they appeared (Praise God for peace!)

- siblings involved in imaginative play, thanks to brother Peter, who leads them and concocts wonderful playtime scenarios

- that there haven't been any new white hairs in my head for awhile.  I think I'll be okay without color for a couple more years, maybe?  Grace of God, that is, since I don't have the money to color my hair right now!

- paint, beads and other crafts--they delight my children so much!

- Geronimo Stilton chapter books, which we found just as Peter was finishing up all the Magic School Bus Chapter books.

- Beth's excitement over training diapers she can slip on and off easily.  Makes things easier for Momma, now that Beth has taken to stripping down naked many times a day!

- My Mary's many hugs.

- the Good Samaritan we encountered at the library last Saturday.  Our van has 200,000 miles on it (I just checked today and was shocked)!  Two door handles have broken from the outside, the second of which is the big slider door handle--happening as we were getting the troops out to enter the library last Sat.  Husband was beside himself with frustration, because we couldn't close the door and it was 5 degrees outside.  This happened two days after a flat tire occurred on a bitterly cold night on his way from one job to another, with no flashlight in the car, and only one glove available.  The spare tire was ancient and he wasn't sure it would do him any good, but it held up well enough to get him through his graveyard jobs and back home.

Anyhow, we took the kids into the library and then he went back outside to continue working on closing the door.  I think he was frustrated enough to almost cry, to tell you the truth. Life is very complicated right now, due to things breaking frequently in the house and with the van--and no money for repairs.

I was thinking to myself that there was no way God was going to leave us with a van--our only vehicle--that had a broken slider door.  I spoke these words into my husband's ear as he left the library.  I think a frequent visitor to the library, who has seen us several times on Saturdays, heard part of the conversation (husband's voice is prominent when he's frustrated).  He watched my husband go back outside.  He then quickly checked out his books and began helping my husband.  Twenty minutes later they learned how to close the door without the handle, which was problematic because the inside of the door has broken parts and is really just a shell of a door (we've been living with that situation for awhile).

Sorry for the long story, but it taught husband and me so much!  Faith is a day by day walk--sometimes even moment by moment.  We mustn't lose heart!