I Want To Be Just Like Her!

My husband got back from Europe late Sunday night, and I’m happy beyond words to have him home!!!  His hug and box of chocolate were exactly what I needed!

But before I get too far removed from what it was like without him, I want to tell you a little a about last week.  Not to make my husband feel bad, or even to draw your sympathy.   Rather, because God met me at my lowest point and did something pretty special in my heart.

Being the only parent for a few days is hard.  Being the only parent for several weeks (possibly longer) can be overwhelming. 

You’re all there is, 24-7, no matter what the need.  You’re the only taxi service, decision maker, referee, discipliner, cook, mechanic, and maintenance “man” on site.  It’s exhausting.  And stressful.

By the end of my second week, the boys were grounded for life and my sanity was threatening to quit without notice.

So when I hit a coil of thick wire with the mower, it was no small thing.   There was no one there to help me get it untangled from the blades. 

In frustration, I jacked up the tractor, crawled underneath, and for an hour and a half, I tried with all my might to free the blades.  My oldest son, bless his heart, even pulled along with me.  But it was no use.

With grease and grass from head to toe, and tears streaking my dirty face, I put the tractor back in the shed.

I was mad at myself for not seeing the wire.  And frustrated at my helplessness to fix it.

Finding the sewer backed up in the house only heightened my frustration level.  No water was going down, anywhere.  With no husband to lean on, I turned around and headed back outside.

My oldest son and I located the septic tank lid out and used a stake to try to clear any clogs.  But, poking did nothing.  And because of how full the tank was, I couldn’t even find the inlet pipe. 

It was 3am where my husband was, and he wouldn’t be awake, let alone on line.  So I couldn’t even ask him what else to try.  I called a sewer pumper and made arrangements for them to come out the next day.

There would be no showers that night.    Feeling crummy and discouraged, I took the boys outside to brush their teeth “camp-style” and told them to find a tree before they came in. 

The next morning, my husband emailed me a diagram of our septic system and a couple ideas of things to check.  I know he was trying to help.  But what I really wanted was him, not a diagram, and I felt like strangling something.   

In the end, it took the sewer guys and a hefty bill to get us back on line.

That afternoon, I ran over a package the Fed-X man had left in front of my garage door, instead of on our front porch. It contained a new server interface my husband had ordered online. 

And, no, I didn’t do it on purpose, lol! 

I just didn’t see it and pulled out like normal to head down to the bus stop. When I saw that squashed box I couldn’t believe it. 

What else could possibly go wrong??

The phone call I made to a fed-x representative inquiring about the thinking capacity of their drivers wasn’t one of my better moments.

I had pretty much hit bottom. 

But then, this basket of daisies came, delivered by a local florist.  The picture doesn’t do it justice.  It is absolutely beautiful.

You see, the night before, in the midst of all my mower and sewer frustration, the sister-in-law of a dear friend had called me.  She had a lead on a pop-up camper for us.  I’ve only met her a handful of times on camping trips with my friend’s family. 

But when she heard we were looking for a camper a few months ago, she began searching on our behalf.  That’s the type of person she is.   

She is one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met. 

Although we put our search on hold while my husband was away, I thanked her for thinking of us. 

Then I cried her ear off and apologized profusely for not being able to stop.  She offered to come right down, bless her heart, like there was something she could do to help. 

Somewhere in that conversation, half crying, half laughing, I impulsively said, “I want you to be MY sister-in-law.”  To which she answered, "Ok.”

The flowers were from her.  The card in the top said,

Thinking of you,

From your new Sister-in-law. 

I couldn’t get over how sweet that was of her.  Or how encouraging it felt to have someone do something so thoughtful and so totally unexpected.  At that moment, God did something in my heart and I was reminded that He cares.  And that I wasn’t really alone.  And that He can meet my needs any way He chooses.   

I cried all over again. 

And then I decided I wanted to be just like my new Sister-in-law.  I want to be so sensitive to those around me that I don’t miss a single opportunity to encourage someone.