Something we’ve been working on is being thankful during difficult times. Steph has been encouraging the children and me along the way to stay cheerful and thankful, even when pulling dirty water from the ditch. We didn’t get it all right, and I struggled with it the most, but we did find the little gifts God was sending us each day. We always had what we needed for the day.
Now that we have running water again, we are even more thankful! It has been hard for me to see Steph sitting out in the yard, wringing out basket after basket of laundry, knowing how hard it was on her. She has struggled with carpal tunnel pain in her hands for years, and it’s been getting steadily worse with time. Unfortunately, she’s also developing arthritis in her joints, according to x-rays.
But there she sat, sweetly working, never complaining. Sometimes I forget how much pain she’s in, until I catch a wince on her tired face at the end of the day. When the children began to complain, her response was, “Let’s sing.” Over and over the past few weeks, they’ve sang “El cuida de ti. El cuida de ti. Constantemente cuida de ti.” [Jesus] takes care of you. He takes care of you. Constantly, He takes care of you.
Steph isn’t perfect, I suppose, but she’s perfect for me. She’s a strong and beautiful person, inside and out. I shudder to think of going through life without her.
Each month we pick a song to sing every morning in our family devotions. At the beginning of April, we didn’t know how much we’d be leaning on the words of this song. Nor did we know how much we’d be leaning on each other to get the extra work done. And we didn’t realize how much we’d need your prayers.
Thank you again. Steph and I were talking a little yesterday about what all God has been doing with all these prayers that we can’t possibly quantify. He’s certainly been working on us. And He gave us water again! It’s a blessing that I didn’t have to dig up half a kilometer of pipe for that to happen.
Thank you for all the messages, short and long, that have been encouraging us to keep going. I suppose we didn’t have much choice, really, but the encouragement, the verses, the quotes, the songs–all that has helped lift our weary hands. Keep us in your prayers. It seems the enemy doesn’t want us here.
A while back I said one way to remember to pray for our water needs was every time you ran water. I’d like to change that.
God deserves praise. I encourage you that every time you use running water today, praise God. Don’t just praise Him that our prayers were answered or that you have running water, but think on all His goodness and let Him know how great He is and how grateful you are. Sing and pray and praise Him. He deserves all we can give.
脡l cuida de ti, 脡l cuida de ti. Constantement cuida de ti;
Amigo es 茅l y siempre fiel, y cuida 茅l de ti.
Muri贸 por ti, Muri贸 por ti, Verti贸 su sangre carmes铆;
Amigo es 茅l y siempre fiel, Jesus muri贸 por ti.
脡l vive por ti, 脡l vive por ti, Venci贸 la muerte, vive por ti;
Amigo es 茅l y siempre fiel, y vive 茅l por ti.
脡l pide por ti, 脡l pide por ti, Al trono 茅l suplica por ti;
Amigo es 茅l y siempre fiel, y pide 茅l por ti.
Vendr谩 por ti, Vendr谩 por ti, Ya prepar贸 morada alli;
Amigo es 茅l y siempre fiel, Jesus vendr谩 por ti.
Himnos de la iglesia, numero 316
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Juan David 