....That's the way my life has been over the past few weeks. It's just been deadlines upon deadlines. Deadlines for handing PhD work. Deadlines for handing in exam marking - that seemed to be the more time consuming activity. In addition to that I was packing to move to Staffordshire which was exhausting, emotionally and physically. But even in the midst of the whirlwind, God was and still is in control.
Chris and I moved most of my stuff to Staffordshire last week Thursday (June 1) and Friday (June 2). We got lost a couple times when we got into and when we were trying to leave Leeds. But we were able to do the whole moving process without arguing. This in itself is a miracle, given that I've been functioning on limited sleep for a while, and I always get stressed out when I move - always. But we prayed before we moved and we handed over the whole situation to God. Carrie Underwood has a song called 'Jesus take the wheel' - and that's exactly what He did.
Friday was the day when it could have really exploded. We were exhausted from moving the day before, and we were aiming to get up early on Friday to move the remainder and be back before rush hour. We got up early as planned, I was going to have a shower - realised there was no water. The water had been shut off for some repairs to the pipes; but it was supposed to be back on before we got up. Chris' mom didn't fill any water buckets, because she said whenever she's done it before nothing ever happens, and she feels as if she's wasting water. So, the one time we needed her forward thinking - didn't happen. I was getting a bit stressed out because things were not going to plan. You'd think I'd learn by know that there's my plans and there's God's - and His is always better. But thanks be to God for Chris' Dad who filled up some watercans the night before (but annoyingly, didn't tell any of us) so at least we could use the toilets. We decided that we'd have a shallow bath and then when we get to Leeds we'd have a proper shower after we finished moving.
But when all this fiasco was happening, my 2nd thought was (the 1st was one of frustration for not having any water) how blessed we are to live in a country that we can get fresh water just by turning a tap. So many countries in the world are not privy to that knowledge. They've never experienced that. And here we were getting frustrated because we couldn't have our cup of tea or coffee, or a shower! Forgive me Lord for grumbling! But the things after all our frustration of things not going to plan, what we were setting out to do was done. We got to Leeds at a good time and we left before rush hour in Leeds - and there wasn't any major hold up anywhere on the road. So, thanks be to God!
On Wednesday, I will be flying home to Jamaica for the summer. So my next entry will more than likely be from there. So much is happening this summer. My sister's having a baby in August. My dad turns 70 in July. So it's a summer for celebrating life and remembering God's blessings.
I'd like to share with you something I read this morning. It was from Colossians and I was really drawn to this verse:
Have the roots [of your being] firmly and deeply planted [in Him.
fixed and founded in Him], being continually built up in Him,
becoming increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith,
just as you were taught, and abounding and overflowing in it
with thanksgiving.
Colossians 2:7 (Amplified Bible)
This is my prayer for myself and for all of my friends.
Amen
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