This year was a TOUGH year. First, my daughter flipped her car after hitting black ice. Praise God, she and her boyfriend were only a little banged up.
Then my husband and I realized the extent of how unsafe our home was when a series of events led to the discovery of mold. It was in walls and vents. Our home would need to be gutted and the damp basement sealed. That, on top of other major repairs, was not something we could afford. Plus, nearly all of us had developed issues that we linked to the mold: migraines, allergies, sinus issues, frequent illness, etc. So, after ten years, we downsized our belongings by half and moved into the first apartment we could. We prepared for the credit hit that we knew would last years, but no one would work with us. The house wasn't worth what we owed on it, let alone the cost to gut and redo it.
While moving, our one and only vehicle's transmission went out. The car was older and not worth the cost of a new transmission.
We had literally lost almost all we had worked for in a month's time.
Then my daughter, the one that had been in the car accident, nearly died from an outpatient surgery gone wrong. She had another surgery to save her life. She was on a respirator for several days. She spent months in severe pain. She had a final (we hope) surgery two weeks ago and is recovering. Through it all, I was afraid, but I thanked the Lord over and over for sparing her life.
My dear daughter was hospitalized several times for infections that threw her diabetic body into DKA. It felt like my oldest two girls were taking turns in the hospital.
My youngest has been showing classic signs of ADHD for awhile. This school year has been the most challenging. She is an intelligent girl, but her focus issues make schoolwork challenging. I often want to collapse out of exhaustion after a day of school.
It was a ROUGH year.
But God...
God saved my daughters.
God granted my husband in the fall a job he loves after years of sticking with a job he didn't like but was stable, steady income in a job-scarce area.
After nine months of having no vehicle of our own, God blessed my husband with a work truck. The hope is that we can purchase a family vehicle in a couple months.
In those car-less months we were able to borrow a car for a few months. A friend picked my husband up daily and drove him to work because, as this friend shared, "I'm driving through town at that time anyway." So many helped us with rides to church, to the store, and other running that we were truly blessed.
We may be in an apartment right now, but it has been a relief in many ways. The stress-levels in my husband and I have decreased tremendously! No longer are we worried our house is making us ill. No longer are we wondering how we'll ever pay for repairs. No longer are living afraid of what will break next.
God has led me to some amazing websites and experts in ADHD. My husband and I are trying various things to help our distracted child succeed.
Nothing was the way I would have chosen. My husband and I had to make choices we didn't want to make. We had to swallow our pride to put the health of our family first. We have had to change much of our lives in a short amount of time. It was HARD! But, through every step of the hard, He was there. He didn't leave us.
Someone is going through some hard times right now. Know this: He is with you.
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