A Christmas to remember?

Today was just not good.

Of course its the 15th - which means bill day. Have I ever mentioned just how much I HATE paying the bills? I mean REALLY, REALLY, REALLY. I sat down first thing to get it over with. I had an hour before I needed to get ready for our little play date with the Midnight Mama's (as we have been dubbed by my husband). Two HOURS after I should have been there, I finally arrive. I could not get everything to balance!!!!! I know that math isn't one of my strong points, but it was making me nuts. And in the end it turned out to be a glitch in my accounting program - NOT my math. How in the world did that happen?????

Mighty Mouse and I did make it. And I wasn't even the only one to arrive so late. So I was able to sit and enjoy the comfortable presence of my wonderful friends. We used the gym and the kids had their balls and bikes or riding toys. I completely enjoyed an hour of watching "that's mine" fights, struggles over brooms (that became a coveted toy very quickly), belly laughs from the most adorable toddler you can imagine, spirited little girls that I love to watch while they whip their environment into something reasonable to them...and the sweetest little guy who can say my name and actually greets me. And then there was Mighty Mouse, glued to my side and creating an amazing static electricity field around us with her crazy electric winter hair. New meeting place equals super glue kid.

So after we all parted ways, I received the call that my father is now in the hospital. Even when you know that is the next step, it still knocks the wind out of you. But good.

Also, everything on my errand list took longer than it took. It was supposed to be a day of meeting DH at the library after work with a picnic dinner. It was going to be awful close. That's when the call comes from Songbird that there is something she wants to stay after school for. Well, that's one of the reasons I stay home. So she can be involved. So permission was granted and DH was called.


But.

It's Christmas. Christ's birthday. What could be better than that? And he is alive and active in our world. All the time that things were trying to go wrong, God was at work.

I was not wrong on our money. It was an actual program glitch. I did not mess up our finances.

Although I was two hours late, others were late also and the ones that were early stuck around and still visited with us. No questions. Just welcoming cheers and smiles when we arrived. And if I'm going to have bad news, it seems God sets me right down in the middle of these ladies - ladies searching after God's heart - right before or right after. It is such a stabilizing and comforting part of my life.

Being behind on the errands allowed DH to find me still in town when he called for some emergency first aid supplies for me to pick up so he wouldn't have to.

I was able to bless the family that took care of Songbird while we were out of town by giving their daughter a ride home after staying after school also. As they live a ways out and drive a huge SUV, it is a help.

Even though we didn't meet as planned as a family after DH work, it was for the best as he had a toenail removed today and by the time he got home it was beginning to bother him.

God watches over our family. I can see it in a million different little bitty ways. He cushions the blows. He sets me in a circle of the most faith filled people that I have ever known. A group like no other. One you have to be a part of to believe it even exists. Me. The person who you never saw in a group of over 3 people in all my life.

One way or another, this is going to be a Christmas to remember. Maybe for some very sad reasons. But I'm praying also for some very good reasons. And maybe the saddest Christmas of all can become the most joyous also. After all, God is in the business of saving souls...all the way up to the last breath.

God, BE BIG!