Life Interrupted...

"Some of life's greatest gifts are wrapped in unlikely packages".  That statement right there is my life of the almost the last five years.  I know I've touched on this in my Group (Go 47) and referenced it in previous blog posts but as I walk through this statement and this "Yes to God" book, I can't help but continue to wrap my mind over these last four years and be grateful for them.

You see back in the early 2000's we were living the All-American dream.  The husband, the  kids, the dog, the pool, the church, the neighborhood. It was all there.  In 2005, as we began the process to adopt our daughter our hearts slowly started to be aware of the fact that we had TOO much!!! We would go for visits to Guatemala and life was so much more appreciated there.  Life was slower. Life was enjoyed.  Don't get me wrong, we were enjoying life but we were SPOILED.  During that process, my husband and I decided to pray "for  less".  We wanted to let go of the dream house we had built.  We wanted our children to appreciate all that they had been given.  We wanted for our life to be simple. (If that is even possible with SIX kids;).  We prayed that prayer for awhile and then life just continue to go on.

It wasn't until 2009 when our lives turned completely upside down that I began to think about that prayer.  You see, at the age of 35, we lost everything (or so we thought).  With a husband in construction and myself a stay at home mom, the Recession hit us hard.  And by hard, I mean a complete sucker punch to the gut.  Not only were we a one income family, all of our money was tied into real estate.  Needless to say, 2009 was a low point in my life that I never thought I would get out of. 

To leave a 5,000 sqft home and move into a 800sqft.  apartment in the middle of no where was gut wrenching at the time.  For three weeks, we made that little apartment work before moving into the attached house that was just a little over 1800 sqft.  You see, this was our first home we ever lived in.  It was one of our rentals.  It was the ONLY place we had to go.  We made it work.  Through lots of tears, lots of heartache, it did work.  

For two years, we did live in that house.  For a family of eight, we were on top of each other.  I spent a lot of those two years being very hurt, very angry.  I hate to say it but you truly learn who your friends are in times of trouble.  We knew people talked. People snickered. People scoffed.  It was hard to take.  Even harder when it was friends.  Even harder, when some would say "I am glad it's you and not me.".

For three years, we tried our absolute best to keep our family in tact.  Trying not to change up our kids lives too drastically.  I like to think we've done well.  My husband was the best example during this time.  He never turned his back on God. He prayed. He waited.  I, on the other hand, struggled.  I felt like a failure.  I felt like I let my family down.  I continued to ask God, "Why?".

And then as if it just dawned on me, I once again, thought about our prayer.  God had given us what we asked for. A little more extreme than we had expected but we had been stripped of all the "fluff" stuff in our lives. We were down to what really mattered, EACH OTHER.  

In the thick of it, it was hard for me to be thankful for the last four years but as I look back now I realize what a blessing a Life Interrupted has truly been.  We had nothing left but to put ALL our hope in God.  We had to rely on Faith and Faith alone.  We could not expect favor from man but we could see Jesus through some.  

I know this has been long winded but I hope you get what I am trying to say.  Not only is God good...God is Good ALL the time!!!  I'm still a work in progress on this journey and continue to blessed by all that I am learning...