So, obviously it's been so long since I have posted that the whole blog thing has changed and it took me a while to even figure out how to get to the publishing page. Can that be my excuse? NO. I have just not taken the time to post - I never thought about it and thus it just got put way back on my to-do list. I actually don't have a to-do list except in my head.... Anyway, so here I am again. Trying to get caught up on life in the H household!
Well, the last post was VP's engagement. Her status has changed, not to married, but to unengaged and single. (YAY). This all happened right before the end of the semester in April, so she came home with very mixed emotions. She also didn't go back for the 2nd semester, but decided to stay home and work and do online classes. She did work - lots, but didn't ever get her classes started. We were very happy to have her home. As I said in my post about the engagement - there were concerns as well as us being very happy for VP and her intended. But through all the drama, I just kept feeling very calm about the whole thing - whichever way things turned out. Maybe it is good that I didn't post until now. I can look back and share a much different perspective than would have been shared had I posted right in the thick of things. The calmness was a real blessing, because whenever VP called with any kind of emotion (and there were several), I was able to say things more like support and concern rather than "I told you" so's, etc. I was able to just say things to help her see things differently and make her decisions rather than freak out with her. She might not have liked it in the moment, but in the long run, these reactions were better coming from me than anger or frustration (which is what she had - I didn't need to have them too). I wasn't calm because I knew what the end result would be, but Heavenly Father always gave me that calm feeling whenever I prayed about the situation as a way to know it would all work out with the end result being much growth and understanding for all concerned. That has been the best blessing of the last year in all situations of my family life. With VP, I am glad she had this experience. She has learned to rely on whisperings of the Spirit and the power of prayer. She wouldn't admit it, but she will understand that it is important to listen to those who love you and are concerned for you and have your best interest at heart. Even if you don't necessarily do exactly as they suggest, it will give you other ways at looking at things that will help in your final decision. That's what life and free agency is all about - not doing all things independently, but gathering all information, then deciding from there.
There is actually a lot of perspectives about life that I am now looking back on and being very thankful for how it all has turned out. AR was not too thrilled to be giving up her room 3 months earlier than anticipated. We had just got her settled when VP came home for the whirlwind weekend, then 2 months later, VP was moving back in, so AR had to go back into sharing a room again. She was really good about it, though. At the same time, CM & MA were coming home to work for the summer. It included CM coming 6 weeks earlier than his dear wife to work at a landscaping company, then they would head out to Maine to work on a farm to see how they liked the "simple" (haha) life. All this was happening when our financial life was pretty much tanking - after several months, and it was looking pretty desperate. Lots and lots of praying, fasting and temple attendance was being done on our part to see which direction we needed to go. One night CM just happened to mention that I should be the office manager for the landscaping company. Well, it was 2 days before the season started, and I said YES!, but I am sure at this point they have someone already to go. The owner had done all this in the past and it was the first year they have hired someone to answer the phone, do all the computer work and deposits, etc - no office space, just from my home or wherever I happened to be. Well, he mentioned it to SP and I prayed. I had also recently interviewed for a part-time job of a neighbor in their home office. I actually said these words in my prayer "I know that someone else probably has this job already, but if there is any hesitation on their part, and it is something that I can and should do, then please have everything work out that I can get this". (this was Monday) In interviewing with SP and his wife (on Wednesday), they mentioned that they had someone all set up through the gal's mother. She was returning from a mission, so the mother had set it up so she could start right when she got home. When she got home, she decided on Tuesday that she instead wanted to go right away to school and declined the job.!!!! They used my exact words that I had used in my prayers. Looking back on it - I can say that it wasn't easy - not in the least bit. It was actually quite stressful, but it had an end to the season, and I was able to hang on to the fact that I knew that we needed it, and it was an answer to my prayers, so I knew that Heavenly Father knew I could handle it. It also so happened that I was watching a kindergartner all during the same time as this other job - so it was good for Nova, but also added to my normally quite calm life. In the end, the timing couldn't have been more perfect financially, too as what I earned during that 3 month period was exactly what we needed to stay afloat.
This post is getting pretty long and drawn out. I just know that there really, really is a Heavenly Father - a Father who is concerned for all of His children with all aspects of their lives. He is caring, and knows us personally. He has eternal perspective - which our perspective is far from that, so when we rely on His, and have faith, life might not go as we think is best, but the end result is better than we could have imagined.
I am going to go do another post right away, just to break things up a little!
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