A Good Day

It is so nice to end the day with a mostly peaceful feeling, especially after the incredible stress of the last few days. My husband and I have been struggling, each in our own way, with fear and despair about our work/income/careers situation (for a couple of old posts about this see here, here and here). It's been a year now since my husband's last contract ended (and he's only worked about 12 months out of the last 4 years). I don't really understand how we have made it so easily through the last few years, it is truly a miracle of God - which I try never to forget! But lately the pressure of the situation has really begun to wear us down. Depression is a constant temptation, and hope can be hard to find.

Today, though, was a good day. At church a friend listened to me spew my latest fears and anxieties, and prayed for me for a long time. It was so nice to talk to someone who could listen, who could understand much of what I am going through, and yet who let me own my pain and fear and didn't try to minimize it or give me pat answers. I left church today feeling much more hopeful (and if the pastor who preached today were ever to read this - which she won't! - I apologize for skipping her sermon and hanging out with my friend in an empty room! :) ).

This afternoon turned out to be a blessing as well. My husband and I were able to support each other in some house-cleaning and sorting, and I cleared out 3 or 4 boxes of old papers and stuff that had been hanging around for over a year. What a shock to realize that there were really only a very few things in those boxes that we needed to keep - and many bags of recycling and trash! I am hoping to keep that momentum going, and continue to clean and organize my way through this house. My dream is to get the kids rooms set up better (which involves clearing out the black-hole of my old "craft" room and rearranging which rooms are used for what), and do some painting before the school year starts.

If any of you are the praying sort - I would appreciate your prayers for our job situation. For wisdom, hope, direction, and good communication mostly, and - unless God has something different out there for us - for a job for my husband. Thanks.

p.s. The ants are almost all gone! A change in the type of ant bait seems to be doing the trick!