Moaning and Groaning!

Well, what we thought was a pulled muscle in Dave's back just might be a broken rib. He went to the doctor yesterday because it was getting a lot worse. He has had broken ribs in the past, and this feels just like one. However, how he would have gotten it is a complete puzzle. He did not fall. He does not remember being hit with anything.

Normally, they don't bother to confirm a broken rib because there really isn't anything they can do about it. They treat it just like a pulled muscle. In this case, however, because there is no clear event to cause it, the doctor wants him to go down this morning and get an x-ray to confirm it. The doctor cannot think of any reason for this to happen. It concerns me that he might have a broken rib with no obvious way of it getting there.

So for those of you who pray...prayers are appreciated. I am placing Dave into Yahweh's hands...the best hands to place him. Of course, that is not the only thing I need to place in His hands. Clearly, not only does this interfere with work, but also with his ability to get anything done here. The creek crossing is being worked on, so we cannot drive our van across it. There is much to do around here that only Dave can do. So, that just means that Yahweh will have to provide in a greater way.

I know that He will not ignore us. He loves us and wants us to have what we need. Sometimes, though, it gets difficult to discern what we need versus what we want. Do we need a big room off to the side so that we can separate our sleeping quarters from our living quarters? It would sure make a HUGE difference in what I am able to do and how I am able to do it. Yet, here we are...without it. We have survived it. So, technically...do we really NEED it?

I feel very stretched by our living situation. We all do, actually. When we moved the RV here I had this picture in my mind of open space, everything in the box, building a workshop with a small apartment at one end and everything becoming accessible. What I ended up with was radically different from that. I have worked very hard to adjust to what is, but there are times when it does feel like it is starting to get the best of me.

The weather has really wreaked a lot of havoc on us. We have never seen it rain so much...and usually on the weekends when Dave was off work. On the weekends when he worked it was typically nice and dry. I have actually seen him plan on taking days off when the weather was supposed to be clear and then have it rain for most of those days. It sometimes feels as if we are intentionally being thwarted. Our faith is definitely being tested. There is no doubt in that. In spite of all we have not been able to finish, or in some cases even start, Yahweh has gotten us through it. We have made it through three winters in our RV now.

Our experiences have taught us a lot. In fact, it was Dave's having to keep repairing the creek crossing every time it rained hard or long (which seemed to be almost all the time) that made him decide that he needed to work on that first. Every time he had to work on that crossing, it took time away from the other things he could have been working on. Plus, if we ever do have to sell the land, the creek crossing will make it more valuable. Although, with the price of gas, the property values around here are not likely to go up. We are too far away from everything.

It sure would be nice to have access to a Terramite, or some other small earth mover. We could get weeks worth of work done in a day or two. But they are expensive to rent...not in our budget at this point. Although it takes a lot longer when you have to do things by hand, on the upside...it helps to get one's body in shape!

We have had to alter our plans many times, but nothing seems to work out the way we hope. So, maybe our plans are not Yahweh's plans? It would seem so. Maybe we are just not supposed to get a room built? Maybe we are not supposed to get the laundry room finished so that I can get some clothes and things out of the box? I really miss my dresses and jumpers. Maybe I am not supposed to have access to the curriculum that I know I have but cannot find? Perhap, we are not supposed to have the privacy for communication and adult things that I so miss because our son is always around, especially in the winter and at night all year long? I so miss Dave and I being able to talk after we get into bed.

At this point, I am even becoming more open to renting some place closer to Dave's work, but seeing as how we do not have the income level to afford that, it really is a moot openness. Besides, if we rented something somewhere else, how would we get anything done here? We would be too far away. No, it seems like our only option at this point is to just stay here.

I have many questions for which I have no answers. But this I know. I am Yahweh's. He does not promise a life of ease and luxury, despite what some false teachers would have us believe. That is NOT what Yahweh says in His word. Maybe they use a different bible? My bible says that we will have trials and tribulations. It says the rain falls on the good and the bad and the sun shines on the good and bad. It also says to count it as joy when we encounter these difficult things for God is doing good things through it.

So, that is my choice. As best as I am able, until my final breath on this planet, I will praise Yahweh. I will do my best to rejoice in these trials, knowing that He is doing something with them that is causing me to grow. Even when I feel overwhelmed and unsure of how I will take my next step, I will praise Him and I will love Him. What can this life be compared to an eternity in darkness? This life is short...although it seems long.

From our little RV on the Hillside...I hope that you are able to see Yahweh's provisions in your life today.