I'd rather be grateful than hateful

Credit

I wrote my post yesterday from the car. We are road trippin' across the state so I can attend a conference/training for a class I am teaching in the fall. Jack is coming with me because he is unemployed... So why not, right? We'll have every night to spend together in a hotel this week. We can do fun touristy stuff too. During the day, he is going to research business ideas he has (we have a really good friend who really wants to start a business with Jack. Might as well look into it since he has the time).

Not long after I finished my post yesterday, our car BROKE DOWN. In the middle of nowhere. Well, we were on the outskirts of a very small town, so it could have been worse.

When the car stopped (that's right, it randomly just powered down and we had to get over to the shoulder and try to get it up and running again), my first thought was prayer. I said to Jack, "You man the wheel, and I'll pray." It was a very sincere prayer. I actually felt like a child. I felt like I was exercising the faith of a child, and I just knew that all would be well because I prayed.

We made it to an O'Reilly store (about four blessed miles later).

The guy working did a diagnostic check for us. We couldn't get a mechanic yesterday. And O'Reilly didn't even have the parts we probably need and won't get them in till this afternoon. So, we booked a hotel, and after multiple failed attempts, we got the car started again.

Again, I told Jack to man the wheel while I prayed. This time, I was even more sincere. The car was in worse shape than it was before, and just the fact that it started was a miracle. I prayed that we would make it to a hotel safely. I prayed that we would have peace and strength. And I prayed that we would be blessed according to our faith. I've never said that in a prayer. Let me tell ya, it was powerful. It was one of the most powerful experiences I have had in prayer. I felt the Spirit so strongly, and I felt safe in God's hands.And when I closed in the name of Jesus Christ, I could feel Him right there with us.

The hotel was only about two miles away from the O'Reilly store. That was the longest two miles of my life. For obvious reasons, we didn't want to just leave all our stuff in our abandoned car and trek to the hotel. We really wanted to make it safely to the hotel: with our car and everything inside. When we started climbing a hill that went over the freeway, Jack kind of freaked out. It did seem like the car was going to stop again, but I just kept repeating that we would be fine.

I knew we would be fine. I just had this really strong feeling that our faith was being tested and that God wanted us to put our faith in Him.

Jack has been really anxious about this all day. I haven't been. I mean, yeah, it's a HUGE inconvenience. If we don't make it to the conference, the school probably won't pay for this trip: the hotel we had to stay in last night, our dinner (and food for today), and our gas/mileage will be coming out of our pocket. That and whatever it takes to repair this beast. And, as you all know, Jack doesn't have a job, and I don't get my next paycheck until school starts in the fall. He has been stressing about it a lot, and I really don't blame him. He stresses more about finances than I do.

I, on the other hand, have not been stressing. I'm actually kind of grateful our car broke down. It gave us an adventure together. It gave us the opportunity to depend on God together. It made us work together. It might make us go into more debt together, if worst comes to worst, but I know that God will take care of us. I know that somehow it will all work out. And we are together in this. Last night and this morning have been nice because it's been so non-stressful for me. We have nowhere to go. If we wanted to go anywhere, we have no way. We have to just relax and spend time together. We got to talk. I got to express some feelings that needed repair from a loving husband. Our lives are currently on hold until further notice. It's nice. 

I am grateful for this experience. I have been asking for help in relying more on the Atonement in my life. He gave me an opportunity. I have been asking for healing in my marriage. He gave us an opportunity. I have been praying for Jack and his addiction, and God gave him an opportunity (read his current post here).

Life is full of opportunities. Those opportunities can be full of trial, fear, hope, love, peace, etc. You name it. Life and opportunity can be anything you let it be. God grants us opportunities to refine us, and I'm grateful for this opportunity. It helped me realize the strength of my faith, and it helped me gain an opportunity to be a strength for Jack too.

I'm just so full of gratitude right now!

I love it! I'd rather be grateful than hateful :D