A blessing and a lesson...

Well, I arrived home Friday afternoon to a very warm welcome from my family. It was so good to be home and see the kids. The next several hours were filled with hugs and kisses and then more hugs and more kisses. After dinner, the girls entertained us with a talent show, a puppet show and several rounds of UNO. I missed them to pieces and didn’t want the night to end.

One by one, Saturday morning, the girls climbed in the bed with us until all five of us were snuggling and cuddling. We got up and ate a big breakfast and then went outside. It was absolutely beautiful! You couldn’t have asked for a prettier day. We sat by the pool and stared at the sky, trying to find objects in the clouds. It was a relaxing Spring day. We packed a picnic and piled on the golf cart for an adventure at the lake. We road all the way around the lake, stopping a few times to romp and play. After our picnic, the girls played in a nearby creek, building waterfalls and having marshmallow peep races. Jason grilled us a delicious steak for dinner and then as the night wore on the anxiety sank in. I tried not to think about it but there was the looming strike announcement scheduled for midnight. If a work stoppage was issued, I’d be catching a flight to Missouri on Sunday and have to stay for up to three weeks. Although often times I would selfishly pray that I wouldn’t be inconvenienced by this strike, I also prayed that my faith would be strengthened and so might my children’s. As I lay in bed reflecting on the absolutely perfect day I had had with my family, I realized just how much my faith was strengthened. Last week while in Atlanta, the Lord was good to me. He encouraged me with His word while others were discouraging. He protected me, He calmed me, He provided for me, He protected and provided for my family. He drew us closer to Him through this experience. He taught us to trust Him and have confidence in Him. He strengthened our faith in Him. And shortly after midnight, He blessed us. The announcement was made that although the union and AT&T haven’t come to an agreement there wouldn’t be a strike issued at this time. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day! We are not out of the woods yet, the union is at liberty to strike at any time until a contract is signed, but I am learning to trust God’s plan and know that He will always be there for me.

Feeling blessed,
Anne Marie