So, today sucked

Can I just complain for a second?


It was a rough day. It could have been a MUCH, much worse day. I'm incredibly grateful for that, and I realize that my small little annoyances are just that.


Especially in light of the horrific things happening in the world right now. I really do know that.


But, alas, here is The End of the Disclaimers.


So, I went to work this morning, and since Josh was off today, he decided to take the boys out on an errand. He realized he forgot something at the house, and when he turned the car around a truck came up on his blind side and hit him.


Thankfully (SO thankfully) the truck hit the front left corner of the car. No one was hurt at all....except Josh's pride. The driver got out and yelled at him for awhile, but calmed down once he saw the boys, and ended up being really nice by the end of it all.


Funny how we'll treat people any ol' way until we see kids in earshot.


The car, however, is in bad shape and it will more than likely be really expensive to fix.



THEN, while I was driving home from work, a cop pulled me over for having an expired tag. It expired 6 days ago.


The cop looked at my license and asked, "Did your husband have a wreck today?"

"He did. It's been a great day."

"Yeah, I recognized the name. I worked that wreck. I'll be right back."

(a few humiliating minutes later...)


"Well, I'm not going to give a husband and wife a ticket on the same day. Here's your warning. Go get it taken care of."


Josh is usually really on top of stuff like that so he was surprised because he hadn't received anything in the mail telling him to renew it. Apparently, we're supposed to actually look at the sticker, but whatever.


Blah.


All of today's events were made more dramatic in my heart because 1) a very precious family member is struggling greatly with cancer and discouragement right now, 2) several dear friends are grieving the loss of people they love, 3) Haiti, 4) it's January and January and I historically don't get along and 5) it's cold and rainy outside....I don't get along with cold or rain very much either.


I'm not gonna lie. I said some ugly words today. Real ugly.



But here's where the story gets better. Are you ready???

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.
In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart!
I have overcome the world.

(John 16:33)



But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

"The LORD is my portion," says my soul,
"therefore I will hope in him."

The LORD is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul who seeks him.

(Lamentations 3:21-25)

Deep breath.


That changes things. A lot.


It would be so easy for my to spiral down into my pit (as I often do during the winter...maybe I'll write about that one day), but instead, I'm met with incredibly good news!


I mean, REALLY good news! He's OVERCOME THE WORLD, people!


Not cancer, not bad news, not death, not wrecked cars, not dark, gloomy January days, not expired tags, not even destruction of bible proportions.


He is our hope. We have a glorious inheritance to look forward to!

"...an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—
kept in heaven for you,

who through faith are shielded by God's power
until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

In this you greatly rejoice,
though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.

These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold,
which perishes even though refined by fire—
may be proved genuine
and may result in praise, glory and honor
when Jesus Christ is revealed.

(1 Peter 1:4-7)

I was talking with a really sweet friend the other day and we were just reminding each other that this isn't how it ends. It won't always be this way. He really will wipe all our tears away. He really will redeem this whole big mess called our world. It's gonna get good.


Jesus changes everything. He just does.



Even as I write I'm reminded of so many ways He's cared for us today in this car fiasco.


--Right now, my father-in-law is in the garage with Josh helping him do some maintenance work on our old honda, and moving the car seats into it. He's the one who gave us the car that was wrecked this morning. It was our third car. We don't even have to mess with the hassle of getting places with only one car.


--The cop didn't give me a ticket.


--My father-in-law knows a cop who may be able to keep points from going onto Josh's license.


--Josh, Isaiah and Manny walked away completely unharmed. I mean, hello, Dana?


--My father-in-law also knows an old man who works on cars like ours, and will save us a lot of money.


--We have food, heat, clothes and everything else we could possibly need. We don't even have to go to the grocery store tonight. :)


--We have been flooded with phone calls and messages from people who love us, making sure we're ok.



I guess I need to look up sometimes and realize that, though it can feel like this all just really sucks, Jesus makes the future bright and beautiful and sure and good...


....and today gets a little better.