God Provides

By Charis Seeley
(written June 19)

I have a maximum of 70 days left being pregnant and I feel a bit like a bird.

My nesting instincts are kicking in.

It’s a bit complex. We’ve been trying to sell our house this spring/summer, attempting to move before the new baby comes. And we have a contingent offer on another house.

But so far, we haven’t gotten any offers on our house. It’s discouraging because we live right on the Mississippi River and it’s prime boating season. And not knowing where we’re going to be living when the baby comes is really messing with my nesting.

Because of the timing of the closings, we’re in the last month that we’re willing to have our house on the market. If we don’t sell by early July, we’ll be staying put until next spring, when we’ll try selling again.

The new baby might be getting a new nursery in a new house. Or she’ll be going into our current nursery and our three-years old daughter will move into the spare bedroom that currently functions as a guestroom.

But I just don’t know yet. And there’s no sense in converting our adult guestroom into a princess play palace if we end up moving a month later.

So, among all the opportunities to get creative and nest, I’ve had to put that instinct on hold. Well, sort of.

I crochet, and summer time crochet projects tend to be small and sweet. They’re typically candy colored flower motifs done in cotton yarn. Or airy dishcloths and towels shaped like watermelons.

Not so with me.

Since my nesting has gone into overdrive, I’ve almost completed an entire afghan blanket in less than five days. And I have plans for at least three more.

It’s frustrating to wait for something that’s out of my control.

I don’t know where we’ll be living this fall, but I do know this:

God always provides, and wherever we end up, we will definitely have enough blankets to keep warm.

-Charis

Chariots of Fear

By Marie Tschopp

Have you ever wanted to smack someone upside the head?  I’ve wanted to, especially after reading passages like this:   

“Joshua replied, “If the hill country of Ephraim is not large enough for you, clear out land for yourselves in the forest where the Perizzites and Rephaits live.”  They said, “The hill country is not enough for us, and the Canaanites in the lowlands around Beth-shan and the valley of Jezreel have iron chariots—they are too strong for us.”  Joshua 17:15-16 NLT

What was the Israelites’ problem?   God miraculously brought them out of Egypt, led them by a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day, caused water to flow from a rock, sent manna from heaven, and parted the red sea while destroying Pharaoh and his army in the process.  Yet, they still whined that ordinary men with iron chariots were too strong to overcome.  Sheesh! 

In retrospect, sometimes my faith journey isn’t much better than the Israelites.  For example, my husband injured his back this winter and couldn’t work.  The injury appeared as a Canaanite with an iron chariot, too strong to overcome.  (Insert a good head-smack here).   I knew better.  I’d seen the faithfulness of God too many times—times when there was more month than money, and the money stretched.  Times when I needed an encouraging word and the phone rang.  Times when the factories my husband worked for closed, and other employment opened.  Time after time, miracles dropped from the Father’s hand straight into mine, and this time was not different.  I shouldn’t have been afraid. 

Take it from me, if you should spy a Canaanite, don’t despair at the spinning wheels of his iron chariot.  Instead, recall the faithfulness of your Father and heed the exhortation from Joshua 17:18 “…you can drive out the Canaanites from the valleys, too, even though they are strong and have iron chariots.” 

If you have problems doing this, let me know.  It’s been a while since I smacked somebody.