Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Packing!!! Wednesday, Feb 16, 2011

Hello,

I continue to pack!  I have lived in this house for 20 years.  Have I told you the story about this house?  I got divorced in 1991 and started looking for a place to move to.  I wasn't having much luck.  I knew what I wanted, in fact, I visualized what I wanted and prayed for it.  I thought, "I want a safe place.  A place that is big enough for all of my stuff and with a garage to put my boats in.  A cheap place.  A place close by so that I can see my daughter and family often.  How about a quiet place in the country?  And while we're at it, how about a place with a white picket fence around the yard."

One day my dad said, "Hey, why don't you check with the Tunzinis, they have rentals."  So I did.  I drove down a country lane here in Ferndale and found Lucille.  She told me that the people had just moved out and they were cleaning it up.  She went on to tell me all about the house and that it really wasn't much and to not expect much.  Then she stopped talking and looked at me and said, "How did you know it was available?"  I said that I didn't!!!!  I followed her down to the end of the other lane and there was the house.  And guess what?  It was absolutely everything that I had prayed for!!!!  Hallelujah!  God provided just what I needed when I needed it!  I realize now how fortunate I have been to be here- I have been able to be here to help raise my daughter.  I was able to have her about half of every week; I was able to take her to school and pick her up; I was able to help coach her softball teams; I was able to play games with her and cook for her;  I was able to give her a bath, put her in bed, read to her, then say our good night prayers; I was able to take her and her friends Trick-or-treating; I was able to get her playmates to come over to play; I was able to be her father and to experience the greatest blessing in my life.  I was able to stay here and continue working so that I could help pay for her college education at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo.  She will be graduating in a few months!!  Thank you Father for giving me just what I needed when I needed it.  There were tough and lonely times though.  I have been single all of those years- it helped allow me to be there more fully for my daughter, but it was also painful at times.  Lately I have come to allow myself to just feel my feelings.  I am in recovery myself I realize.  I know that is why I can help out at Sunny Acres.  Suffering means to endure or to carry.  There is meaning in suffering.  We lament our suffering, but how immature and undeveloped we would be without it!  Praise our Loving Father for our suffering.  Thank you Papa...........

So, speaking of feeling my feelings, all of this packing, sorting, saving, throwing away, burning, taking, giving, storing, selling................ is pretty close to overwhelming!  This house is two story with 4 bedrooms, 2 living rooms, and 1 garage!  You know how you expand to fill your space?  I certainly did!  It is a sobering fact to realize that every last little thing we carry into our homes is our responsibility- every last item is something that will need to be dealt with at some point.  I am in a position where I am going to move to one bedroom- so it is not a matter of simply packing up everything and moving it.  It is time for pruning now!  I am ready for it though.  I have been ready to let go of things for a year or two now- I had already started the process of selling things even before I went to Honduras.  God calling!!  So, anyways, this process is emotional and even stressful, as I am leaving my family and friends to start something new.  I would be lying if I denied this.  This process is exactly like getting ready for The Walk.  The preparation was the toughest part- it had it's share of fears and doubts- what I am going through now is the same.  However, God gave me The Walk, and so now I know exactly what to expect and how to do it!!!!  As before, the answer is to trust Him and to keep putting one foot in front of the other.  My preparations are all that I can do- He takes care of the rest.  And I know from The Walk that He does!!!!

Thank you for tuning in.  I hope that you will keep coming back.  I will keep writing from Sunny Acres when I get there.  Sunny Acres is a continuation of The Walk...................


God bless,
Love,
Craig

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