Unexpected Blessing...

"Do two things the devil never expected out of you today: Give thanks to God for where you are and #2, Praise God for what He's done for you. He probably won't see those two things coming! Complaining is the devil's ammo. Disarm him today!"


That was my facebook status this morning. Little did I know I was in for an unexpected surprise as well as a much needed blessing. Matt and Cait are getting older and because of this, they have managed to destroy both of their beds. I temporarily set them up on the queen size air mattress until I could decide what I wanted to do with their room. I've been going back and forth on the whole bunkbed vs twin bed choice, plus, such purchases tend to get pricey either way. I prayed about it and meditated on it and kept it moving. Unfortunately my children could not explain why suddenly the air mattress was starting to deflate (I suspect "someone", aka my invisible third child, poked a hole in it) so the air mattress was soon removed. What to do? I went to my garage and hauled out my old queen size mattress and metal frame. It wasn't my first choice but it would keep them off the floor until I could come up with a plan.
Got a call from their father today. He was down in dumps as he usually is on payday. I listened to him vent about his increasing bills (like I had no idea what those were) and his low pay (also, like I had no idea what that was either) and did my best to lend a sympathetic ear. Here's one thing I've discovered over the 6 years of either being pregnant with or raising my children: I honestly don't think it's that some men simply won't take on more of the load. I think some of them can't. I mean, when I hear the things that send him to the ledge and bring him to the point of near fits, I say to myself, "Are you KIDDING me?! That's the kind of trouble I've eaten for breakfast!!" But rather than looking at him crazy, I've decided that there are just some things that I, as a mom, and as a woman, am more equipped to process and handle. There are some things that I can't stomach that he can. Doesn't make either of us better or worse, just different. Remember "I'm built for this?" I thought you would!
So after about two on and again, off again hours of his venting, he suddenly tells me that his parents are at a tag sale at a furniture store up the street and are thinking about getting new beds for Matt and Cait. He called back less than 10 minutes later and told me that they were definitely getting the beds and would be over with the delivery truck at any moment.
He wasn't kidding.
I just barely had time to put my wig on straight (don't judge me... lol!) and throw a couple of stray toys into the kids' toy box before the delivery truck was pulling up in front of my house and unloading two brand new beds and mattresses for the babies!
To God be all the glory.
Here's one thing you have to understand about me. I consider NOTHING in my life random, accidental, or happenstance. Every good and perfect gift comes from above in my book, and I give God glory and credit first and for ALL things! He used my children's grandparents (should I call them "in-laws?!" *shrugs shoulders*) to be a blessing. I rarely speak to them but here's the thing ladies that I want to share with you: It pays to show respect to the family of your children, even if the father being a donkey's cousin.
When I found out I was expecting, I almost immediately made arrangements to meet Marc's mom. She didn't know me from a can of paint but I was determined to let his entire family know I wasn't some clubbing hoochie mama. I had a face, a name, a job, an education, my own place and some good sense. She was polite and asked me a few questions about my family. From that day on, I made sure to always be respectful to both of his parents. Respect goes a long way. I'll repeat that... RESPECT GOES A LONG WAY. No matter what Marc and I were facing when we were together and battling it out, I was always welcome in his mother's home. 
Even though she and I don't see each other that often, I knew that I was someone she didn't mind being around. And that was a deliberate action on my part.
My point is build relationships and alliances where you can ladies. If you are able to make contact with anyone in his family, do so. Even if it's an aunt, uncle, cousin, or sibling. Every connection you can make to the family of your children is important. The more help you can get in raising your children, the better. My children's grandmother has gotten them clothes and toys many times and when you're struggling to pay bills and keep food in your children's mouths, every little bit helps. I give honor where it is due and my children have a great set of grandparents.

And in all fairness, Marc has grown up a LOT since the early days. He still has a ways to go, but I'm making a conscious decision not to focus so much on his shortcomings and focus more on what he does right. That's for everyone's benefit.
So, after grandma and grandpa got everything set up, I gave them both hugs and thanked them, which they both received. I couldn't help but say to myself, "They have no idea how much God is going to bless them". See, here's the thing. I KNOW I'm blessed. That's not a statement of arrogance, but of fact. I EXPECT God to show up and show out in my life. Why? Because I honor Him and I worship Him. I'm walking around here believing in Him and claiming Him to be my Lord and my source. He is not about to let me down! So because of that, I can stand confidently and declare myself to be blessed. I can look over my life and see that I'm blessed. So when someone does something for me, they're sowing a seed into the blessing that's on me. And guess what? They'll be blessed too!
I certainly wasn't expecting this type of blessing to come my way, but I wake up each day expecting God to move in my life, some way, some how. It's to the point that I don't worry as much as I used to. When I need something, I just wait for it to be supplied and it always is. I don't stress like I used to, just like the bible instructs me to do. He tells us to "take not thought" for things like food, clothes and such. That's just the BASICS of God's goodness. He throws those things in just because He's our God! Don't worry about things God fully intends to take care of anyway. When you begin to roll your cares over to Him, you find that you are living with more peace and joy. When you're not mad at the world because you're so stressed out, you have more of a chance to live that "abundant life" He promised.
So today was a great day. I am so thankful to God for blessing my children with the beds they needed. One day, I'll look back and tell them the story of how God provided for them and one day, they'll get to trust God on a whole new level for themselves. 
In everything, give thanks people! If anything good comes your way in a day, give God the glory. If your children are more peaceful than usual, give Him thanks. If you feel less stressed, give Him thanks. If you find yourself having enough money to go buy a pair of shoes AND some groceries and not feel like you just put your whole budget in jeopardy, give Him thanks. I'm telling you... a life of thanksgiving is so much better than a life of complaining.