Doing the Next Right Thing

A lot of you are aware of the blog I have been intermittently writing,
since 2010, but for those who don’t,
feel free to start at the beginning, or begin following my journey, now.

My blog was something that sort of ” accidentally ” began. When my dad was first diagnosed with cancer in January of 2010, we quickly realized it was too difficult to contact everyone who wanted to learn of updates, doctor’s appointments, and so on.

We decided a blog was the easiest way to share information with everyone, in one simple one post.

Since Dad’s death, a short 4 months after his initial diagnosis, this blog has shifted into a bit of everything; I write about nanny life, family, friends, fashion, vacations, and even sometimes a bit of religion and politics.

If you’re still with me at this point, thank you, and here it comes.

The thing is, I do NOT enjoy confrontation, arguing, and am not the best at dealing with hateful remarks, or people who are rude/hateful in their remarks that disagree with mine. (Seriously, who really IS, though?!)

Here’s the thing – LIFE IS DIFFICULT ENOUGH. NO ONE WILL EVER AGREE WITH EVERYTHING YOU SAY, THINK, DO OR STAND FOR.

The very few times I post something controversial (which, lets be honest, these days EVERYTHING is controversial). it seems to open up the floodgates.  Its dishonest to expect everyone to agree with everything we say because we know that’s not going to be the case.

I have thoughts, emotions, feelings, opinions on everything from sports teams (and the potential building of a new Titans football stadium), religious topics and beliefs, to our current political situation. However, those will not be shared here (On instagram, though…that’s a different story – maybe).

What IS going to be shared are thoughts from the depths of my heart, that I hope everyone who reads will take with them today and beyond…

Beauty comes in so many different types. 

Hurt manifests itself in so many different ways. 

Words have the power to heal, and to rip apart. 

So many similarities between us all, yet so many differences.
We all crave love, acceptance, encouragement and support. 

How do we find a common ground? 

How do we ALL find a way to feel heard, felt, and understood?

We love. We shake hands with the sick, we hug the bruised and battered, we give a help up, and not just a hand out to those beaten down in life. 

It was so refreshing and beautiful to see people of all walks of life come together to help those in Nashville who lost everything after the tornado a couple of years ago. During hardships, unfortunately, people come together most easily and most genuinely.

Difficult moments in life seem to weigh a thousand pounds when we are walking through them. 

Yet, simultaneously, we learn the most important lessons while enduring the hardest days.

Recently, I came across a quote that has quickly become a favorite;

“It is possible that your most painful tragedy might lead to your most important transformation”

~Pete Wilson

I was ready for a new beginning and looked forward to what 2017 had in store. 

But life had other plans. 

After two jobs in 4 months didn’t work out, and several difficult things happened in my personal life, I was at an all time low. 

I questioned God, 

I cried, 

I walked, and drove around aimlessly, 

searching for answers in the words of songs, within the pages of many books, 

and I even, a few times, asked God why I was even on this earth, 

and why He was making me go through all the valleys.

But I have to give God thanks.

For those who may not know, in the Christian world, it is encouraged to give a tithe (10% of  your income) to your church. 

It is a scriptural/Biblical commandment and something I 

have personally been taught to do my whole life.  

As a child, if I earned a dollar for a chore, etc,

 I would take a dime and put it in the offering plate at church.

 It was exciting to have “my own money” to put in,

 instead of begging coins off my parents to put in. 

Times/life had been really hard that year, in 2017 and I had fallen behind on paying my tithe. 

Even though I knew I should be giving God the FIRST tenth of my meager income, when your income is cut in half (and most of the time, even less than that) I was worried about making ends meet each month. 

Suddenly, I felt very strongly that I needed to catch up

 on the tithe I was now VERY behind on.

 I had been praying that God would send me a job, 

send in extra money somehow, etc 

and realized I was not doing my part. 

So, I sat down and paid my tithe online (Digital age and all that…)

I did not just pay some of it, 

I paid all of it. 

I basically emptied my bank account. 

Within moments, fear set in. 

I began frantically TELLING God He better somehow make things work out, because, after all, I had just done “the right thing” and I was “trusting” Him to work it out. 

(BTW, “demanding” things from God isn’t the smartest thing in the world…)

The beauty and wonder of God’s love is that it is SO perfect. 

It is deeper and stronger than a parent’s love for their child, 

a love for your significant other, spouse, 

your best friend, etc. 

The week continued like normal. 

I worked as much as I possibly could, paid bills as I could, and wished, prayed and hoped. 

Then, within a few days I got an extra, out of the blue, one day nanny job, 

then extra hours at my part time job, 

and then, 

out of the blue

someone who, as far as I knew, 

had no earthly idea what all I was going through,

sent me money. 

This person had not talked to me, asked me my situation, nothing…

between the money this person sent, and the nanny job I worked, I had EVERY CENT of the money I just used to pay my tithe.

About a week after that, I learned that I had been chosen as the new full time nanny for a family with a newborn.

GOD IS SO GOOD. Never let a difficult day get in the way of giving HIM praise.