Dear Reader:

The other evening, as darkness descended, the lantern on the upper deck of the recently renovated outside garage apartment came on, as usual. But for me…what it symbolized was hope that slowly but surely I can start fixing problem areas that have been on hold, a long time, due to tight retirement budgets.

The lantern now shines on a safe, sturdy, deck with new stairs leading up to the garage apartment with extra boards to secure them and the banisters.

I haven’t won a lottery…nothing has changed…but I realize now that there are people out there in the world who are willing to help others and perform work that doesn’t rob one’s piggy bank…but just  gets the major repairs done….just sticking with the basics…nothing fancy or extra…just complete. And they are willing to do it for a basic price. So my purse strings haven’t changed…but the people I needed in my life to help me slowly get this old house back in good condition  have arrived at just the right time.

They have appeared in my life in God’s Time. He knew all along that I just had to wait until the time was right for the right people to appear.

God always has the solution to our problems…but since He can see around all those future bends and twists in our journey’s back roads…(unlike us) He know that timing really is everything.

It was the following anecdote that made me conscious of this fact over the weekend.

“This Can’t Be Happening Twice”

Years ago, a fishing fleet went out from a small harbor on the east coast of Newfoundland. In the afternoon there came a great storm. When night settled down, not a single vessel from all the fleet had found its way into the port.

All night long, wives, mothers, children and sweethearts paced up and down the beach, wringing their hands and calling on God to save their loved ones. To add to the horror of the situation, one of the cottages caught fire. Since the men were all away, it was impossible to save the home.

When the morning broke, to the joy of all, the entire fleet found safe harbor in the bay. But there was one face with a picture of despair – the wife of the man whose home had been destroyed. Meeting her husband as he landed, she cried, “Oh, husband, we are ruined! Our home and all it contained was destroyed by fire!”

But the man exclaimed, “Thank God for the fire! It was the light of our burning cottage that guided the whole fleet into port. Praise God for His Mercy Upon Us All.” (spiritual short stories)

…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

When I came across this visual message recently…the theme, I realized, connected to the theme of the short story. We humans think our solution to a personal problem is the only solution. God, however, knows He can get us to the same safe shore …but do it using a different method. As in this visual thought…

I would add….respect God’s way of thinking.

So until tomorrow…Let us not waste time mulling over incidences from the past…If it was something good…then wonderful…if it wasn’t…chalk it up to experience and move on.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Yesterday Mandy’s house felt like an airport. There was family in and out during the day…John is leaving for Vegas for a technology conference, Tommy, Kaitlyn, Carrie, Catherine and Calvin are heading to Dingle Ireland Wednesday. It was a time of good-byes, well-wishes and kissing Eva Cate Happy Birthday! Lots of activity!

Eva Cate’s birthday celebration had been going to Disney World a few weeks ago…but family members dropped by and some neighbors’ children who are in Eva Cate’s class…so we got to wish her Happy Birthday. (I am going to be heading Mandy’s way Sunday to help get the kids off in the morning and, also, help with afternoon/evening routines while John is gone this week.)