When God Makes You Say "Wow!"

I love the way that in the middle of the hardest of times, God sometimes just makes us stop and say "Wow!" This has been one of those weeks.

I have posted several times about how thankful I am for the friends God has blessed me with. One has fed our family twice (actually, four meals, counting leftovers :)) in the past week. Both times, it has been at just the right time...when I have been literally too tired to make a peanut butter sandwich (and didn't have the brain-power to ;-)). I am amazed with God's provision. What a blessing! One has been checking every day "Do you have food? Do you need help with the kids?" I know that she is ready at a moment's notice to feed us, keep the kids, whatever. Most of all, they have listened and prayed and made me laugh through all the *stuff* that has been going on here.

In addition to my *best* friends, God has blessed us with a church family who are wonderful at ministering in times of crisis. Last night we thought I was going to have to take my mom back to the ER, as she was having severe swelling in her casted arm/hand. I was already exhausted and frankly just plain out of sorts. The kids and I had spent the afternoon helping her (the kids helped clean her house and did *great* job), and I was ready to go home, feed everyone, and go to bed. Instead, we ran through a drive-through, I dropped the kids off at the house to Billy, and Mother and I headed to the hospital. They sent her home with instructions to *try this and come back if it doesn't get better*. I took her home, followed their instructions, and left her elevating her arm on ice while I went to the grocery store. Just as I was leaving, Billy called. Friends from church had called and said they were on their way to our house with food. Mrs. C had mentioned Sunday that she had been through a similar situation with her mother breaking her arm, and been very encouraging and sympathetic.

When I got home much later that evening, I opened the fridge to put groceries away...and couldn't resist opening the unfamiliar container on the top shelf. When I did, I got a whiff of the most wonderful-smelling roast I have ever smelled. Yummmm! And then came the "Wow!"

A couple of weeks ago, I took a roast to a friend who is having health problems. When I bought it, I bought a two-pack at Sams, thinking I would cook one for her and one for us. Then I realized I only have *one* crock pot and I was *not* cooking one in the oven in my un-air-conditioned kitchen...so I stuck ours in the fridge to cook the next day. Well...in all the chaos around here lately, the next day turned into the next day, and the next day turned into the next day...and the next...and those next days turned into an uncooked roast in my trash can. :-(

Ever since, I have been *craving* roast. Couldn't justify buying one, since I had let the first one go to waste, and knew I wouldn't have any more time to cook it right now than I would have the first time even if I did. But every time I had opened the refrigerator lately to scrounge up food for people...I had wished for that roast!

And there one sits...all cooked and ready to eat. Isn't God good? Not only does He provide for our needs...He throws in some of our silly *wants* as well. Now the only problem is going to be waiting till Billy gets home tonight to eat it for supper! :) I am so thankful for friends and church family who listen to God's promptings and truly act as His hands and feet during hard times. We are blessed.