Our Manna

I have had this blog in my head for awhile now, life has just been crazy so I haven't taken the time to sit and write it down. I've been living it though and have told a couple of people of how God has been speaking to me. So, time to write it down so I can look back and see exactly how God is working in me and family during this time in our life.

Doug is still at the job that we both pretty much hate. It's not a bad job, really, but one of the main problems is the drive. It's an hour away, which means he's gone an extra 10 hours a week. It also doesn't pay a ton so he has to work extra, which means he works 10 hour days. Factor in lunch and he is gone 12 1/2 hours a day. That's a lot. Not to mention that he is randomly forced to work Saturdays. Last week he had to work Sunday as well, which means he's still waiting for a day off. Coming from where we were, where we lived not quite 10 minutes from his work so he was gone not even 8 1/2 hours a day and that included an hour home for lunch, this is just hard. It's especially hard on the kids. By the end of the week, Jazz is asking if Daddy is gone all day tomorrow. He only gets about 3 1/2 hours with us at night. To me, that's just not enough.

It's so easy to just stop right here. This is awful. I hate Doug's job. It's not fair. But, that's not where God wants me to stop. I've been reading in Numbers about the Israelites. God led them out of slavery in Egypt to the desert. When they complained that there was no food, God gave them manna. It miraculously showed up every morning but Sunday. Were they thankful? No! They complained after a time that they were sick of it and wanted some real food. I do not want to be like the Israelites! You see, God has shown me that this is our Manna. It's provision. It may not be the best thing that we could have. It may be hard to swallow some days, but God has miraculously provided a job for Doug that provides for all our needs!

It's so easy in places like this and in life in general to compare yourself to others. How do we do this? By comparing up. That person has a better car. This person has a bigger house. That guy has an amazing job, why don't I have any of those things? We shouldn't be comparing our lives to others in any case, God has given us THIS life and no other. But, take a glimpse for a second at those around you that don't have it as good as you do. Trust me, there are plenty to choose from! God gave me this glimpse and showed me just how blessed we really are. You see, God is using this time to take my eyes of my circumstances and place them on Him. I can be joyful no matter what. I can be thankful that Doug has a job at all since there are so many people that don't even have one.

So, I look at our Manna each day and I am thankful. It's not perfect. It's not ideal. But it's God's provision at this time in our lives. Thank you God!