Working... and Resting

Hooray... the Lord gave Leah a beautiful full-size bed, which spurred a massive reorganization, purging, book-rearranging throughout the entire Rabe household. I am sitting in the schoolroom just enjoying the fact that there is space on all sides of me, I can look up and read interesting titles to books (and dream about someday sitting down and reading them) and see beautiful artwork painted by the kids. I am so happy! While everything was in such disarray, God also blessed us with a whole new, sturdy set of dining room chairs from the same friends who gave us the bed-- and THEN he came over and tightened up the legs on the table that kept falling down! And THEN, right after we had had a conversation with our other friends joking about the fact that John Jr.'s bed has a big spring sticking up in the middle of it, another family gave us a new bed for John's room, plus a new mattress and TWO sets of box springs, delivered by two more friends... the Lord lavished on us much MORE than what we needed through amazing friends! When I woke John Jr. up on Sunday morning, I was just so delighted to see him in that beautiful bed. And today, we finished cleaning (actually, ruthlessly razing) Leah's room. It is a real haven, her own little refuge. All the gifts He has given us recently are pictures of rest -- the chairs, the beds, the comfy mattresses. That's a good reminder for me to rest in Him, to keep my eyes on Him (not on my worries and fears), and to trust His power and His promises. "Fear not, stand firm and you will see the salvation of the Lord, which He will work for you today...the Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent." (Exodus 14:13-14)