Hands and Feet

Last week my husband left with the Army. It is one of those unwritten rules that soon after they leave, something breaks.  In my case, I think of all my years of being a military wife, last week was one of the hardest.

It started with something simple that just seemed to grow. We were having electrical issues in the house we rent, followed by landlord/property manager issues.  My oldest had left to go to church camp with a friend of his and I had plans to do some things with the younger kids, but everything was falling apart and I wasn’t able to get to any of that. I had to keep making sure our house was drop in ready for property managers and with 2 whirlwinds, that wasn’t an easy task.  I also don’t sleep well when hubby is gone. Finally on Thursday I found out that Saturday someone was coming to look at the electrical issues we were having. I figured I would once again make the house drop in ready lol. So off cleaning I went. I felt pretty good about my progress, and then it happened.  I decided to move my bed over a little bit when I was sweeping and the bed broke! I couldn’t help it I cried. It was the straw that broke the camels back, or in my case the bed that was the last straw!

I immediately reacted with my flesh…WHOOPS! I was thinking how my husband always wanted to save money and I had wanted to get an Amish wood bed before we moved and he didn’t want the weight, we are only allowed a certain weight allowance. Out here there is NO place to get anything Amish. We settled on a cheap bed from the exchange because he said when he retires and we build our house, I can get the pretty stuff. So sometimes you get what you pay for right? My next thoughts were of where was I going to sleep that night? Then GREAT the property manager will be here and has to come in THIS room, it’s going to look ghetto! I now have a broke bed! UGH!!! Could this have happened at a worse time God?

So after I called my mom and whined to her…hey take your drama to your momma right?!? 🙂 I posted a pitiful facebook status.  Immediately I got a message on facebook from a girl who goes to our church, a church we have only been members at a few weeks. She said “Laura is there anything I can help you do”? So, I replied “I don’t know. My bed broke I am having issues with our property manager anyway and now this”.  She responds I will take the bus and come over. I was shocked because first, where I come from unless you live in town you don’t take a bus, and while yes I know our area here is primarily town, taking the bus is just not something I am used to hearing. She said it will take a while but I am coming. Then she texts me and said her roommate was coming too! What a blessing and a sacrifice on their part!

They showed up and we tried to work with the bed, but unfortunately it was beyond our skill level :). So we did the next best thing. Prop it up on books! ( I wonder if I can convince hubby that this is a good reason to continue to keep the 13 bookshelves of books I have?) Next thing I know my friend from church was on the phone and to make a long story short, I ended up with several people from church over! Our Sunday school teacher and her husband came over and before you know it, himself and the Pastors son had the bed fixed! I was thrilled.

During it all we had a great time talking, we ate dinner together and God took what was a tragedy ( LOL) and turned it to good. Earlier that day my mom had told me she thought I needed to get a break for a little bit from it all, even if I had to leave the house. Well God gave me a break right there! I was so happy and thrilled that so many gave up their free time to help me.  My friends kind of brushed it off, saying that is what we are supposed to do, and if we are too busy to help a sister in Christ, we are just to busy! She is so right. I have been so encouraged by that night that here I sit, almost a week later still thinking about the blessings.

I am blessed and thrilled that I have a church family that is really a community. That even though we have only been members for a few weeks there, they have all said many times your family now! Before my husband left, some ladies came up to me at church and said, if you need anything and I mean anything at all while he is gone, you just let us know! They mean what they say! 🙂

Ladies, how are you being the hands and feet of Jesus? When you hear someone in need, even if it seems small, do you brush it off and go on your way? Sometimes what can be the smallest thing to us, can be huge to someone else, and it can mean a great deal to them. Everyday in life we can have chances all around us to bless others and be those hands and feet. We can stop and take time to smell the roses, if it can make someone’s day better. My friends are right, if we are to busy to help others, we are just to busy.

The past few weeks at church, and then what happened last week, I have been so encouraged even more than usual, to try to make it a habit to be a blessing, to be a witness, to share God with everyone I encounter. It may be with a smile, or holding the door for the mom with 4 kids and a baby stroller, or cooking for someone in need. Big or small. Out side our doors is a whole mission field. What are we doing to be those hands and feet.

I will leave you with a song….

Hands and Feet by Audio Adrenaline

I hope your week is blessed!

I would love to hear from you about how God is using you to be his hands and feet.

In CHRIST,

Laura