An Unexpected Gift

Today brought much excitement and joy in our home.  Our church family at Reach Christian Church, Longreach blessed us beyond what we could ever ask for or imagine. 

Firstly Sam was given a wonderful gift of a truck and trailer from one of the men at our church.  To say was excited would be an understatement.  He has decided that the truck will be Jack's too and they will share.  Thank you so much for bringing a smile to Sam, you know who you are.

We were also given a gift as a family of an iPad mini! Wow, wow, double wow.  It is something I never dreamed would happen.  For a while now, we had been wanting to get one, but with us being on one wage for the longest time, luxuries like this were well and truly out of our reach.  It will be such a blessing to us, especially while Sam is in hospital.  When we opened the gift together I could not breathe, I was just so blown away, that these people that we have come to know over the last six months would do such a thing of love.  And we are so humbled that God knew the desires of our heart and would provide such a thing for us.

In addition to this the church has also given us a portion of money to help us in the time when we are going to be away.  This made me cry happy tears.  This will mean that we can pay rent for another week, so Don and Jack can come down when Sam has his surgery.  With Don being at his new place of employment for only six months means that he has not had the opportunity to accrue much leave and we were concerned that we were not going to be able to pay rent and bills.  This gift will help us in this regard and shows us that God has not forgotten about all of the practical parts of Sam's surgery and all that goes with it. For the last few weeks these things had been weighing heavy on my heart, being the budgeter in our family.  And so I have been praying and waiting, waiting and praying.  In the last few weeks we have also been given other gifts in this regard, all helping to make things easier. 

And because I am honest I will also add this...

It also made me cry humble tears because in the last few months with the kids being sick and me being so focused on Sam's upcoming surgery, making Longreach our home and making sure our family is on track, I feel like I have not had time to make good friends here in Longreach.  Everything has been so busy and in a way I have also closed myself off trying to sort out my own heart and head.  So to be thought of in this way, and given such a gift brought first a sense of shame in my own behaviour and then thankfulness for other people's love. Thank you Reach Christian Church, we love you.

In addition to this we have seen Sam bounce back from his illness this week with such vigour.  After our trip back to Barcaldine this week for the dentist, all should be done in readiness for us to be on our way.

And now, one week before we are due to fly out, I have a renewed sense of God behind us in love and marching before us in victory.

If God is for us, then who can ever stop us.