I have a very determined little boy. All his big brothers and sisters get to go skating whenever they want. There's a free skate in town every Friday which they like to go to or they'll skate at our friend's house on the weekends with a group of young people. He often gets left behind, too small, too young, not enough space in the car. He was very mad about that last week. We haven't done a rink this year or last because of the garden we put in. That was right where the rink had been. But this 6 year old won't be told he can't go skating. He literally went outside, found a giant puddle that had frozen over, walked back in the house, down the stairs to get his skates and then back out with his skates on only to go and skate, without me even really knowing what had happened!
Once he came back in, I noticed he was wearing skates way too big for him which might have explained the blister forming on his ankle. We quickly found him skates that would fit and sure enough, there he was, back out on the "rink"/puddle, skating for what seemed like hours. I was so grateful for his determination. It occurred to him, "No one told me I couldn't skate outside!" Then, he and his older 10 year old brother checked out our little pond that is covered in reeds, but they, too, turned that into another place they could skate. They just made the reeds part of the "track".
These may seem like nothing, but to me, they are huge examples of grace. It is very hard for me to get our whole family to a rink. The transportation is one thing, but all the gear, the packing up....it's a challenge. Plus, having little boys indoors all day in the winter is also not good. They go a little stir crazy and if left to themselves, they would sit and probably watch movies all day, but I know they need to get their energy out! What to do? This was perfect. A strange answer to prayer for me in a way as I wasn't sure how to get them active without spending a lot of money and time going somewhere. I'm so grateful for the way God gives these little graces in our lives to help us through the cold winters.
Then, I had another problem. My oldest son who is now applying to universities and college, wanted to step up his studies, and needed a focused place to study. He went to the library with his sister for a couple of hours, and that was perfect, but that wasn't sustainable. There isn't always a car to drive or the timing doesn't work.....again, what to do? I'm sure I sent up a little prayer that sounded something like this, "Can you show me a solution to this problem?" I knew I couldn't build an addition. I didn't have a way to eliminate the little brothers who were getting on his nerves and interrupting his studying. But then, I rethought his room. I just stood there, as I often do, and prayed for revelation! Suddenly, I saw it. We moved a little shelf that was not really being used anyway. It was right in front of a beautiful old window overlooking the property and way out into the distance. Then, I told him to grab the old table that I was about to throw out because it was half-broken anyway. It fit perfectly in the window space and the broken half folded down so that made it the right size. He grabbed a heater for the room as it is cold up there, his books, pencils, pens and voila! His new study spot. Again, nothing life-changing, but to me, it was a miracle! It was a great example of how God opened my eyes to an old space and allowed me to see how it could be reworked. Not a dollar was spent, no rooms were renovated, no additions added, no more driving to libraries for quietness. Just perfect. He's so happy up there now and is accomplishing more because he's not down in and amongst the little squirts who make so much noise all day long!
So often the Psalms recall David crying out. It was probably not for solutions to the winter cold or for new study space ideas, but that's what I cry out about and not unlike David, I get answers from God, often in ways I don't expect. Psalm 65 says, "O you who hear prayer...." (vs.2). He hears all my prayers, even the ones about cold and books.
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