The last few weeks have been nothing short of amazing. I've had the hardest last couple of weeks but also the most incredible weeks in a long time.
The most incredible part of the week came personally at home. We've been remodeling our bathroom since December 31. And it was slooooowwww going up until this weekend. My husband is amazing and I just love seeing him work on this bathroom. He is so detailed and specific on things. It really makes me appreciate his talents and mind that God has given him all that much more by seeing him use them here. It's just interesting. I'm NOT gifted in those areas of math and you need good math skills when you are remodeling, we'll just say that. So thankful for my husband and how God has made him! :)
But anyways. He finally got the floor put in on Friday and then from there everything happened fast. Not only was the floor put in, but the walls got re-framed out for the new walls, restructure of the bathroom. Our neighbor came over to help all weekend, from Friday - Sunday. He and his wife are amazing people and we are so thankful for them as neighbors. We've gotten to know them very well over the year by random projects around the yard and times spent together here and there. We had thanksgiving dinner together this past year because neither of us went anywhere. They are not our age, they are probably in their 50's. But we see them as dear friends of ours.
I was telling Ben on Friday morning that I miss them because we haven't had them around in like 2 weeks. yeah, just 2 weeks! hahaha. We consider them dear close friends of ours who we love to share life with.
Well this weekend was amazing and God revealed so much to all of us it was tearfully amazing! By Saturday night, with their wonderful help all Friday and Saturday, I made us all some dinner. As we ate dinner that night we just had some neat conversations about life. Nothing out of the ordinary by any means, but it all started when we they were actually going to get up from the table to leave. B said "well, when you guys going to church tomorrow" (because he was going to come over again on Sunday to help some more on the bathroom). So Ben and I just looked at each other, because that was a rather good question. We've been trying to figure out a different church for about 3 months now and we keep going back and forth between 2 of them and I knew which one i wanted to go to on Sunday and I knew Ben would agree, so we just said "we haven't really talked about that" and they could tell there was more behind it so we shared with them some of what was going on. They already knew we weren't attending the church where we were going. And they knew we were going to other ones. So that sparked up a conversation and B just let everything out and was very open about some struggles in their lives and could completely relate to us and what we were going through. It was awesome. And the wife shared how that is why they liked us so much because we are "you". and no one else. And my hubby and I just looked at each other and said, "yeah, what you see is what you get! We are going to be as real as it comes. We don't hide much emotional or anything. We want to share our life with others but many times sharing a life with others is a front." And we've struggled with this so much in the past 2 years. So our neighbors GOT IT and they just said that is why they like us so much because we are real and not fake and they could tell that from the beginning of meeting us!
Not only that, we share a lot of the same struggles in life right now. It's actually neat that we do! :)
The most interesting thing came when they both expressed how for 25 years they've lived here on the corner and not once did anyone reach out to them! They explained it a little more. But they said, no one really ever cared enough like you two have. I wanted to cry, but I was so thankful at the same time. It was in that moment that I knew exactly where God had us and WHY!
And we actually said that and talked about that with them. They know the house stories we had when we were looking to buy a house and somehow God placed us in this little house in the middle of town for some reason. At first, Ben and I were a little discouraged that those other house never worked out and even after buying this current house we were a little sad, but at the same time, we knew we loved this house and God was going to bless us for making the wiser decision that we did make.
And this weekend, to me, showed that. For 25 years NO ONE reached out to them or not only that, cared enough to talk to them like we have. I told my hubby later that night after they left, "ya know, we were the ones that outreached to them, and that is what they noticed. No one every did that with them, we would see them in the yard and talk all the time with them. and one thing after another led to another and we started sharing life together."
Hold on, the COOLEST part of the night came when us 4 were then talking about Faith and churches. B opened up about how they don't go to a church because of blah blah blah. (a lot of the reasons we struggle with it too). And we were able to share our thoughts on that and our struggles and it was just refreshing FOR THEM to hear our point of view. But not only that, ti was so cool to hear B open up about his faith and his struggles and how it matched up so much with ours as well!
We ended the night with a time of prayer and thanksgiving, holding hands and sharing that moment is something I will never forget!!
I weep with JOY knowing how God has used my husband and I to share and speak love and truth into their lives! I weep for Joy knowing that God placed us in this exact house for a reason! I know that God has US exactly where we are suppose to be and I'm so blessed and over joyed with those thoughts!
The last 2 years (it's been 2 years to this date that Ben accepted the job here in Rhinelander!) have been rough and I've questioned many times over what are we doing and I"ve had heart break after heart break of situations. I've had heart break of missing some dear friends back where we moved from and I've wondered if I'll EVER find that (those) again!! God showed me this weekend that no matter that heartbreak and the pain I"ve had the past 2 years, that MOMENT alone made everything so perfect! And in that moment and in the days to come, I know that place here is exactly where I'm suppose to be!! God has me where I'm suppose to be...but here is the thing...I TOOK ADVANTAGE OF IT AND HE USED ME BECAUSE OF I DID WHAT I WAS SUPPOSE TO DO! Are you taking advantage of where God has you? Or are you just sitting their waiting for something to happen?! Ya see, I had NO IDEA that God was actually using us in those times...but I didn't sit aside and let life happen, I happened to life! We gave life to our neighbors and we didn't even know it!
What does that show you? You NEVER know who you can touch or befriend. So don't miss those times...don't let life pass you by. Take those moments and be YOU...and no one else. BE YOU! When you are YOU...that is when life happens and when you can show who you are to many others. Don't put on a front or make you someone you aren't, that actually turns people away. It turned us away from some people...so don't let us be turned away, we all need each other as YOU.
I thank the Lord Jesus for where we are and what God has done in our lives the past 9 months of owning this house. Thank you for where you directed us and have us Jesus. Thank you for our wonderful blessing of neighbors we have. Thank you for their openness with us and the life we share with them. May we remember to me US and no one else. May we shine the light in the darkest of times and may we speak the truth of who we are and what you are!
Thank you for the joy we share because of this past weekend. Thank you for the blessings you have given us!
