Even When Your Humility is Humiliated

I have had so many complaints about life recently and in the last year that I think this blog needs to be renamed for the time being "Castle on the Corner of Complaints".

The water heater breaks, the air conditioning on the van breaks, the door on the van breaks, the sprinklers break, the garage door breaks, the clutch breaks, the fence breaks, the roof breaks, the awning breaks, the washing machine breaks, the heater at Christmas time breaks, (just to name a few) and my heart breaks for the life we used to live.  I loved that life and I was looking forward to the future and enjoying the present.  Having a husband become unemployed and going back to school for a few years surely was not part of that life I desired.  But it became so.

I have done more than my fair share of complaining, I just think, "why can't Heavenly Father make things just a little easier on us?" Why can't He make going to church easy and enjoyable? Why can't He just make my son a little less ornery and whiny? Why can't He protect everything from breaking when I know He knows we would have to use up what savings we have to get those things fixed?  Why can't He make it easier for me to see and talk to old friends and be around large groups of people who are happy?  And  then I realized right then when my humility was being humiliated that I had not been asking for help with any of those things.  My Heavenly Father knows what I need and want and He loves me so much that He gave me a gentle reminder to ask for them.  With all these things breaking, He reminds me that we have them, that we have a beautiful home and cars that get us to the places we need to go and that taking a cold shower helps us not be so hot while driving in the van.

It might take me some time to quit complaining, but He has given me the tools, such as prayer and scripture study to help me be grateful and enjoy the hard work I need to do during this time.  Prayer and patience is key to making it through.  I have hope and faith that our family will be blessed with a good job and with the enjoyment that comes with being around good friends, family, neighbors, and church members.  And I know we will have lots and lots of lessons learned.  And my son is already less ornery, which makes me less ornery, which I am oh so grateful for, cause I like the happy side of me.  So even when your humility is humiliated remember that you can turn to the Lord in prayer, He understands and will answer your prayers in ways you can't even imagine.