more umbrellas

awhile ago, i posted a note of thankfulness because a couple we know had handed us a trader joe's gift certificate. for some reason, i had titled the post "umbrella in a storm." well. we really needed the food money at the time, and finances were stormy, so it kinda made sense. God has been dropping me little umbrellas like this for a long time now, and i realize they are more like stepping stones in a rushing river, where you think you are going to fall off into the water, but at the last minute, you see another stepping stone and are able to take one more step across the water. all during our engagement there were stones like these showing up in envelopes as cash and many other ways. and God still sends them; this past month or so has been incredibly full of them, and i know i must keep my eyes on Jesus to see every day's salvation as i look to him for eternal salvation. let's give thanks for His many stones, his umbrellas that he throws us to let us know He is still covering us, and that's how it should be. truly, that's how it is even for someone who lacks nothing and thinks they are self-sufficient. all is held together by God. i am thankful to have that perspective from firsthand experience.

-the other week my friend from college got to visit us with her two kids. she left me half a costco box of diapers and wipes. right as i was all out!

-our neighbors/ old roommates asked me to babysit, which i would gladly to for them for free, and then gave me an exorbitant amount of money as "pay," even though their daughter was in her room the entire time!

-our other neighbors/old roommates came by and dropped off a trader joe's gift certificate (yes, another one!) on the eve of us going to AZ. it fed us the whole time we were there.

-our friends in AZ wanted us to be able to come visit for a wedding of an old friend, so they paid for our gas! there i was with an entirely free vacation on my hands! praise God. when they handed us "the greenbacks," it covered a lot more than just our gas costs...

-the same friends gave us diapers, clothes, and (drumroll) an external hard drive! (i have been talking about getting one to save my pics from hard drive problems. there ya go. God hooked it up.)

-today there was a little miracle envelope in the mail: a gift certificate to Fresco, AND a gift card to peet's?! i have my suspicions as to who it was, but...i guess anonymous gift givers like to remain anonymous. "who loves us?" sparrow asked. "i don't know..." i said, "...God."