A Place to Live

[subdjoe]

After 4 months living in the Sunday school room at church, we finally found a place to live.  I give thanks to God for providing for us, and to the Theotokos, St. Seraphim Wonder worker of Sarov, St. Ann and St. Joseph for their prayers and intercessions on our behalf.

[wncchester]

Joe, I'm thankful for that for you and your wife.  I don't need to 'preach' to you but I can tell you I understand the stress yawl have been under and thank God for everone's answered prayers.  So you have your own roof, now we'll concentrate on putting the other problems before Him. ??

[powderman]

JOE. Great news. Prayers sent, more coming. Charlie. 

[subdjoe]

Joe, I'm thankful for that for you and your wife.  I don't need to 'preach' to you but I can tell you I understand the stress yawl have been under and thank God for everone's answered prayers.  So you have your own roof, now we'll concentrate on putting the other problems before Him. ??

Thanks, Wncchester...you too, Charlie.

Next up to bat is dealing with the burro-ocracy to get my wife on disablity.  And cutting and winding through the red tape just might be beyond His ability to help  .

Even living in the school room was cause for giving thanks to God.  We had shelter, we had food, we had use of the restrooms and kitchen in the hall, the choir master let us use his shower.  We were better off there than 75% of the people alive now.  Shelter, food, sanitation, a parish family that loved and supported and prayed for us.  We were truly blessed to have that.  The only real down sides were the walk to the head in the middle of the night, and I was on a cot and my wife in a recliner - we really missed the cuddles. 

[thumper113]

Joe,

I love the fact that you see His hand in providing for you even if it wasn't what you really wanted.  I've tried to teach my daughters and their husbands that He willl provide.  It often won't be how YOU wanted it but He WILL provide.  They were too young to remember the days when most of our meals came from the food closet at the Chapel on post.  I had to swallow my pride but God fed my kids.  Has made me watch for those He sends my way for help.

God Bless you, Brother

Rob

[thesandman]

my wife and I have been so blessed. our children have yet to see the lite.  we will pray for both requests in his name.   

[subdjoe]

Joe,

I love the fact that you see His hand in providing for you even if it wasn't what you really wanted. 

Truly, it isn't all that hard to see that He provides everything.  If nothing else, at the epiclesis in the Divine Liturgy we hear "Thine own of Thine own we offer unto Thee, in behalf of all, and for all." reminding us that what we offer to Him is His in the first place.

I've tried to teach my daughters and their husbands that He willl provide.  It often won't be how YOU wanted it but He WILL provide.

I'll tell you true, it was sometimes hard to remember, especially before we moved into that Sunday school room.  Finally we had to admit that we couldn't do it on our own and threw ourselves into God's loving hands.   


  They were too young to remember the days when most of our meals came from the food closet at the Chapel on post.  I had to swallow my pride but God fed my kids.  Has made me watch for those He sends my way for help.

God Bless you, Brother

Rob

Pride...the deadliest and most basic of the Seven Deadlyies.  And, if you think about it, the basis for all of them.  Gluttony, lust, etc.  Giving in to them proclaims that you deserve what you want, and that you come first.  Hard for stubborn, stiff necked, and head strong humans to overcome.  But, eventually, with enough WHACKS! upside the head with God's 2 X 4 we just might start to listen to Him and maybe depend on Him, His mercy and His wisdom rather than trying to rely on ourselves.  Maybe. 

And thank you for your kind words.

[subdjoe]

my wife and I have been so blessed. our children have yet to see the lite.  we will pray for both requests in his name.

Thank you, Sandman.  In God's time your children will come around.  Sometimes God leads us on a somewhat circuitous path in order to teach us things, sort of preparing the soil, before we can truly receive His word.  And even after it takes root, there He often needs to prune us back in order for us to bear good fruit.

Thank you so much for your prayers.  There is a lot of power in prayer. 

[wncchester]

"eventually, with enough WHACKS! upside the head with God's 2 X 4 we just might start to listen to Him"
 
Joe, allow me to say I doubt you really needed the WHACKS! 
 
I've endured some very hard licks in life but God worked a lot of things to carry me - us - on, including being in this comfortable little mobile home where I write this message and we have never missed a meal together.  I used to wonder a little about what I had done wrong or what I had failed to do right but a Godly friend pointed out to me the message of Job's story; Job had done nothing wrong nor had he failed but he suffered the loss of everything he had except his life and wife.  In doing so he became an example of determined trust in God that rings down through the ages; I suspect a lot of people have watched your faith and gained faith from your example.  Perhaps even those kids! 

[RIF]

Joe, That is fantastic. 

[subdjoe]

"eventually, with enough WHACKS! upside the head with God's 2 X 4 we just might start to listen to Him"
 
Joe, allow me to say I doubt you really needed the WHACKS! 

Maybe, but we can be kind of stubborn.
 
I've endured some very hard licks in life but God worked a lot of things to carry me - us - on, including being in this comfortable little mobile home where I write this message and we have never missed a meal together.  I used to wonder a little about what I had done wrong or what I had failed to do right but a Godly friend pointed out to me the message of Job's story; Job had done nothing wrong nor had he failed but he suffered the loss of everything he had except his life and wife.  In doing so he became an example of determined trust in God that rings down through the ages; I suspect a lot of people have watched your faith and gained faith from your example.  Perhaps even those kids! 

A few did comment on how we had seemed to grow closer to God, and to each other, through our troubles.  Were we an example which caused them to gain faith?  I would like to think so.  No way to prove it though.

And several expressed astonishment that we were able to remain together through it all.  Even our priest, who has seen a number of couples break up when they lost their homes, etc. expressed his opinion that we seemed to have an even stronger marriage, which would take a lot, since we were pretty much already seen as a strongly bonded couple.

[subdjoe]

Joe, That is fantastic.

Yes, it is!  We saw the ad on Craigs List, called right after the meal after the Liturgy for our patronal feast day.  The guy had a 2:30 appointment to show the room, told us to come by at 3:30.  His 2:30 didn't show, and we basically had the room when we walked in the door.  We slept here that night.  Next two nights we were house sitting for some friends from church, which kind of played with our minds some.  Then, the Sunday night we were back here.  Slept on the single bed and a cot for a week, then went up to Lake Co. and got our bed and a few things.  It was so decadent to actually sleep together in a queen sized bed again!  And not have to walk 40 or 50 yards to the head, or go to the choirmasters apartment to shower.

I do miss the kitchen in the church hall though - 12 commercial grade burners, big side by side fridge, big side by side freezer.  Now - an electric stove, a shelf in a smallish residential fridge.  But that is small stuff, and you don't sweat the small stuff.