And Now For Something Completely Different

Honestly, even *I* can't take that much whining and moping in one week. So let's get back to some happy stuff ok?

My beautiful friend Kristen posted some amazing thoughts on unanswered prayer. I'll write more about why it hit home but first I'll tell you a bit about why I love Kristen.

Why I Love Kristen And Am Amazed She Ever Put Up With Me:
I've been lucky enough to be her friend since she started dating a friend back in 1996. I feel like she's been in my life much longer than that. We are very different but have some interesting parallels in life. When we met, I felt like a retarded puppy on acid compared to her calm poise. Her quiet shy nature would make me panic. I would respond to this panic by talking more - must...fill...empty...space. I would just start babbling nonsense and would just keep going. It was like, the intelligent me would stand outside my body, watching in horror as I nervously vomited my verbal diarrhea. My intelligent outside self would silently yell, "Shut UP! Stop talking! Seriously just stop talking!!!" Which would make the retarded puppy on acid self start yammering more. Maybe to Kristen it wasn't all that bad. Maybe she recalls these same interludes as, "Wow that girl sure can talk!" But to me, it's horrifying. It's how I react to most shy quiet people. I panic. I'm so afraid that my silly outgoing personality will put them off, I think I overdo it by trying to be overly friendly and it just comes out like something from a really bad Seinfeld episode.

For some reason, the retarded puppy on acid (R.P.O.A.) never put Kristen totally off. She'd still come hang out with our group of friends - even knowing the R.P.O.A. would be there. I never noticed her suddenly remembering she left something in the other room when I'd come near. She befriended the R.P.O.A. and tamed me. I finally became comfortable enough with her to bring it down a notch to just a retarded puppy.

Kristen and our other friend Alicia (the one who braved church with me in 2005) were some of the only friends in my life who supported me when I tried to better myself. When I quit smoking, they were there cheering me on and encouraging our other friends not to smoke around me. When I had to radically change my nutrition for 2 years, they would make sure to prepare dishes I could eat. And that was no easy feat. They, along with my other pal Sooz, organized and threw a giant baby shower for me when I was preggo with The Boy. They both chauffeured a no-car, pregnant me around to all my appointments. They both drove our new expanded family to all the post-partum & pediatric appointments. They babysat The Boy & Lil Bro for no pay. They babysat The Boy while we did the hard-core (and misguided) sleep training. Then when I started getting my path straightened back toward God, neither of them poo-poo'd me or teased me or anything. They both supported me. And all three of us found our separate paths back to God - at differing times. And even though I moved across the country, those two are still two of my spiritual pillars.

So that's a bit about Kristen. And why I love her and wish I could win a lottery and give her a huge chunk of it. Plus, her little boy R was born a few months after Lil Bro and they're ridiculously adorable together. And she makes amazing blueberry buckle. And she's pretty. And sweet. And I love her.

Yah...ok, now she'll probably punch me for all of that.

But her post was so cool. Like most things lately, it hit home. My whole survival in this current divorce thing, the dealing with Tourette's, everything...it has all been one giant study in praying and waiting well. I have been demanding of and begging God lately. I have thrown myself on the floor, crying for God to save me. My mouth always says, "In your time, God," but my mind wants it NOW. And wants it the way I'm picturing it. And God keeps teaching me all about his timing and his plan.

So having read her post and felt how it just spoke to my current situation, I thought I'd post a little praise report on answered prayer where the answer is yes and where I had totally resolved myself to God having other plans.

God Has A Sense Of Humor And Perfect Comedic Timing:
My parents have been planning to move here since my little family imploded. A couple of months ago, when mom was here, I needed some serious rescuing. So dad told mom that they needed to move out here to help me. Normally, I would never allow such a magnanimous rescue mission. But I needed some big time help and I was SO grateful.

Mom left a few weeks ago to help dad pack up their other house. They contracted to build a house in my development, albeit a 7 minute drive away. Well, things were going along but last week, it became clear that the housing market in their area came to a screeching halt. Nothing was selling. And they have a great house. But nothing. Most people couldn't buy because they had to sell their own house first. It was awful. So this past Sunday, mom called to tell me that it was on hold. They'd have to pass on this house we just finished and wait until their house sold. Then they'd come out and find a new one. I was really bummed. But I said, "Ok God, you obviously have another plan." Maybe there's a house in my neighborhood that will free up just as their current house sold. I figured God had a better plan and I was like, ok, I'll wait for it. So I resolved to wait and see. But as a little aside - almost a joke - I said to God, "Well...if you want to send them a buyer tomorrow, that would be cool..." but I immediately thought, no no no...I'll have faith and see what God has in store. So that house was out and we were fine with waiting.

On Monday, mom called. "We have a buyer!!" I nearly fell over laughing. Who says God doesn't have a good sense of humor! So they're working with the builder here to see when they can close on their house. And they'll be here NEXT MONTH!!! WOOOOO-HOOOOO!!!

For months, God has been teaching me to wait. And to accept different answers than the ones I want. It's been good learning. I'm getting very used to it. So I found this just seriously funny. That I would toss a half-joke at God and he instantly says, "Um...ok."

I love God. He totally rocks.