Pedro has nicknamed the place where his accident took place as "crash corner." And with good reason! Today when he drove past the site on the way to the girls' school, he witnessed the crumpled remains of yet another car that was struck there. It had been parked in a similar spot as the truck that Pedro hit, but this little vehicle didn't have the luxury of solid metal construction. The rear was crunched in and the car had been jolted onto the curb. Someone should post a sign: If you care about your car, do NOT park here!
I have had some moments lately when life seems to hit "crash corner." I've wondered which events are happenstance and which are efforts by the enemy to distract and discourage. The two car accidents just one month apart are one example. Today Pedro took our car to get fixed and was told it wouldn't be ready until next Thursday. The repairs will run in the hundreds of dollars, which is no surprise but still discouraging. Unfortunately, Pedro will be gone Monday through Saturday to Santiago and now I will be home alone with the kids for five days with no car. He planned to participate in a men's retreat which we were both excited about - an opportunity for refreshment and fellowship - but it was canceled at the last minute. We were both disappointed by that. Now he has only one meeting that he is required to attend but the tickets are non-changeable so he still has to be gone the full five days.
Another event that put some stress on the family was the infestation of lice on one of the girls' heads. This was always one of my worst nightmares, but apparently lice are very common in Iquique. She was one of three in her class suffering from the same problem, and it took us almost the entire week to get rid of the nasty critters (in fact, we are still doing preventative treatments just in case.) Needless to say, it was not a fun few days!
Some strange health issues have also cropped up for me and thrown me for a loop. The day of the accident, I quickly walked the 2 km or so to reach Pedro and the girls. It was a steep hill but mostly going down, so I didn't think much of it until we were all back at the house and my ankle suddenly started acting up. I say "suddenly" because I had just received a call from my neighbor asking me to come and meet some of the moms who were at her house. But as I prepared to do so, literally over the next couple of minutes my Achilles tendon became so tender and swollen that for the rest of the day I couldn't walk on it at all!
Thankfully, my foot was almost as good as new the next morning. But no sooner had that healed, when I began dealing with some cough and cold issues, headaches and a pulled muscle in my neck. I feel like an old lady! This weekend, I am responsible for teaching the ladies at our Bible study and with all that has happened I find myself being put to the test with my own attitudes. It's so easy pull it together for others sometimes while not showing the same patience and love to those within my own family. I don't want them to witness that hypocrisy in my life.
Please pray that I would be faithful in the moments when these "crashes" take place, understanding that it is easy to be joyful in the good times but much harder - and yet more important - in the difficult times. Please pray that I won't allow either my own sinful nature or the enemy's tactics to distract and discourage from the work God is doing here in Iquique, and that I would remember that "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world!"
I have had some moments lately when life seems to hit "crash corner." I've wondered which events are happenstance and which are efforts by the enemy to distract and discourage. The two car accidents just one month apart are one example. Today Pedro took our car to get fixed and was told it wouldn't be ready until next Thursday. The repairs will run in the hundreds of dollars, which is no surprise but still discouraging. Unfortunately, Pedro will be gone Monday through Saturday to Santiago and now I will be home alone with the kids for five days with no car. He planned to participate in a men's retreat which we were both excited about - an opportunity for refreshment and fellowship - but it was canceled at the last minute. We were both disappointed by that. Now he has only one meeting that he is required to attend but the tickets are non-changeable so he still has to be gone the full five days.
Another event that put some stress on the family was the infestation of lice on one of the girls' heads. This was always one of my worst nightmares, but apparently lice are very common in Iquique. She was one of three in her class suffering from the same problem, and it took us almost the entire week to get rid of the nasty critters (in fact, we are still doing preventative treatments just in case.) Needless to say, it was not a fun few days!
Some strange health issues have also cropped up for me and thrown me for a loop. The day of the accident, I quickly walked the 2 km or so to reach Pedro and the girls. It was a steep hill but mostly going down, so I didn't think much of it until we were all back at the house and my ankle suddenly started acting up. I say "suddenly" because I had just received a call from my neighbor asking me to come and meet some of the moms who were at her house. But as I prepared to do so, literally over the next couple of minutes my Achilles tendon became so tender and swollen that for the rest of the day I couldn't walk on it at all!
Thankfully, my foot was almost as good as new the next morning. But no sooner had that healed, when I began dealing with some cough and cold issues, headaches and a pulled muscle in my neck. I feel like an old lady! This weekend, I am responsible for teaching the ladies at our Bible study and with all that has happened I find myself being put to the test with my own attitudes. It's so easy pull it together for others sometimes while not showing the same patience and love to those within my own family. I don't want them to witness that hypocrisy in my life.
Please pray that I would be faithful in the moments when these "crashes" take place, understanding that it is easy to be joyful in the good times but much harder - and yet more important - in the difficult times. Please pray that I won't allow either my own sinful nature or the enemy's tactics to distract and discourage from the work God is doing here in Iquique, and that I would remember that "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world!"
4 comments:
Wow, can I ever identify with that! I'll be praying, Steph! Love you!
I'll be praying for you especially, Steph. I know that you and Jenn had a good time together and I'm excited about the contacts that you are making with your neighbors. I was just sharing that with someone at church tonight. Remember God is good, all the time. Love you much!
I feel ya.
I vowed that my children would never get lice. Apparently, I did not factor in the fact that lice LOVE my little Hispanic daughter's thick, straight locks. There is a reason that lice was one of the plagues in Egypt...it's enough to unsettle any mommy.
real estate in MI? I have some real estate in MI you can have...right in the middle...easy access to everything! McDonald's, grocery store, check. Good schools, too....
I'm only a little bit joking.
Did you know Pedro and Mateo had head lice from school in Marlette? Do they remember? I can't imagine the difficulty with a head of hair like Isabel's, however. I applaud your spiritual transparency, dear. I can relate. God is so gentle with us with discipline, yes? thanks for your struggle to persevere in doing right. Love and prayers. Mom
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