One Step Forward...Two Steps Back

I get way too excited sometimes.  Seeing change and progress happening before my eyes inspires me and makes me feel like the world can change one small action at a time.  But sometimes, what I forget is that there are always going to be road blocks along the way.  We were really going places with blog house, but we then had a series of CRAZY....I mean, uber frightening, heart-racing-scary storms that flew through Baltimore.  The result? Tree limbs all over the blog house property followed by NO POWER for what the power company said could be over a week. OY!  I am so thankful to still have power (especially after our own series of power/gas issues over the last year) but I feel terrible for the blog house family.  Until power can be restored, they are uprooting themselves to cooler climate.

I guess the lesson I take from this set back is this; When adversity strikes, do we sit and concentrate on the difficult circumstances, or do we take that opportunity to set up and plan for the future.  Please know I'm not just referring to something as trivial as home design set backs. I mean, the real, hard, life stuff. So, because we are lacking a blog house story today....let me share a story from my life in a hopes it will encourage you in your own setbacks.

The day was Tuesday, February 7th. I was tiredly working my way through my week caring for my 1 year old son.  Exhausted, because I was preparing to welcome our 2nd son into the world in 6 weeks, and hopeful because the end of the week held one last getaway with my hubby before life got us back into the crazy zone again.  4 am arrives....along with the aforementioned setback to our plans.  FULL BLOWN LABOR.....May I remind you this was 6 weeks ahead of schedule. I'll spare all of the details since this isn't intended to be that kind of blog...but let's just say I had a very complicated labor, and was very lucky to make it out with my life AND the life of our brand new Hudson Joel.  This also meant no chance for a getaway.....and instead a 2 week ticket to the NICU.

Granted, we had INCREDIBLE help from family and friends, but I tried really hard to approach it all with an attitude of trust.  I also can't credit much of that to myself though, because the Lord really did provide me with a sense of peace.  But it was because of that peace that I could approach the situation by looking to the future instead of fearing the present difficulties.  I took that time to plan things for the future, to get myself organized, and to give myself things to look forward to.

I really don't want to bore you with this post.....so I'll just leave it at this; When adversity arrives, kindly greet it, and inform it that you would love to stay and chat, but you have some light at the end of the tunnel to tend to. We have some awesome things planned for blog house once power is restored. In the meantime, I'm using that time to make the plans more concrete and organized so when we are back in action, we are back full force.

What adversity is all up in your grill?  How can you meet it head on and make the best of it?
Be encouraged.  And until next time, get planning for the bright future ahead.