New Chapter, Same Book

This past week was the end of a small, but impactful chapter in my life. I had started watching a couple of kids, a brother and sister, about a year and a half ago. It was to supplement our income so that we could get ahead with our bills and pay some stuff off.

I say it was impactful because it was a difficult time for our family. The children I was watching were experiencing some major shifts in their lives, so there were some issues that needed to be worked through. The tension in our house was constant, and it was a major stressor. Not to mention their mom's work schedule was constantly changing, so it was hard to settle into a routine.

It was also stressful because we were not able to do some things that we wanted. We also had to shift our school calendar to center around the public school calendar, so that we would have the same days off. When the kids had a half day at school, or a day off for a holiday or other reason, they would be at our house the whole day. So those were days when we had to cut lessons short, or cut out the school work completely. We couldn't take field trips that we wanted because we had to be able to come back to pick up the kids at a certain time.

So this week was their last week here. Their mom was able to find a job that she does from her house, so she will be able to care for them before and after school. And now the house is full of just my kids, and any other kids that are here are invited friends. We will slowly get back to having our own schedule again, and getting used to being able to leave and not have to think if there's enough time in the afternoon.

I now have that feeling you get sometimes when you realize you've done all the chores, the cooking, the shopping, and there's nothing left to do but relax and read a book. It's a rare feeling, but it's the only feeling I can equate it to. I now have time. Time with my kids. Time to be able to finish the book I've put off for a year. Time to read a book, or a whole series if I want. Time to work on some projects that I have been putting off for over 13 years now. I just feel so peaceful, and light.

Thank you God, for answering my prayer, and blessing me, yet again, in a way I could not have dreamed of. You never cease to amaze me. My heart is no longer encumbered and burdened, but filled with joy. I feel like I might burst! I praise you, Father, for your provision. You are Jehovah Jireh, my Provider. I love you and I thank you. In Jesus' name, Amen.