Of Pilgrims, Provision and Praise

Last night, Jamie hung the clock on the wall. This piece is my shepherdess. Like Ma in the Little House books who placed her china shepherdess on the mantle whenever their pioneer family entered a new home, so our wedding clock represents home for the Lawson family.

After nearly six months of wondering and waiting, it landed in our laps. I had suspected it would all along, but I believe that the Lord often leads us through the long searching so that we have no doubt that the ultimate finding is so very clearly a gift from His hand.

And a gift it was. One Sunday morning in early March, I sat alone in church. My mind was overwhelmed with the burden of desiring a home but seeing absolutely nothing on the horizon. By the end of the service, I was in tears. I knew that God would provide, but I was weary from the waiting.

The house lights came on, and I felt a hand on my shoulder. Turning around, I saw a family friend whom we've known for years. I wiped my eyes, and she jumped right in. "I heard you're looking for a house . . . ." I was hesitant to get too excited, knowing that our housing budget was very specific (not to mention the square footage needed for a family of six that works and schools from home). But she and her husband were headed to the mission field and needed to get things moving right away. So I gingerly addressed the issue of rent. Her answer floored me. It was exactly what we had budgeted.



The next few weeks were a whirlwind, and on the Saturday before Easter we moved in. We wove in and out of stacked boxes and miscellaneous furniture for days and days, shuffling and shifting. Life, of course, didn't stop. Drew turned twelve (and made sure to inform us that he could now sit in the front seat of the car). Bethie lost herself in the books she hasn't seen for months (and actually ran to the bookshelf with open arms, gently stroking the Little House bindings). Aidan had his first baseball game (and declared that "the catcher's costume stinks" -- this referring not so much to the odor as to the cumbersome gear). And Avery learned to ride a bike without training wheels (thanks to cousin Ethan).



Just as life won't stop, I know that I can't allow my praise to stop. God has brought us very clearly to this home, this neighborhood, this community. He is at work, He loves us, and He is good. And now, our clock is on the wall. I know that the passage of time and the relentless pace of life will only increase the opportunities we have to give Him praise.