Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Sloppy Joes

          I loved sloppy joes as a kid, and I still love them as an adult. My children loved them too until the third or fourth time I made them. I think it has to do with me making them on the stove instead of the crock pot and talking to the neighbor for a little too long. I served dry joes that night with a bit of burnt flavoring.
          Nothing has been more discouraging to me in this whole moving process than the sloppiness of several "Joes".  One "sloppy joe" mover neglected to put a cover on our baby's crib mattress or take the crib sheet off and now there is a permanent black mark on them (was that mark from the asphalt as it was drug along or the bike chain it it laid against in the moving trailer). They forgot to pack our dehumidifier,  Pump In Style (don't ask if you don't know what that is), and an old picture of my grandma, along with several other boxes. However, they made absolute sure to pack our half-used rolls of toilet paper and wet shower curtain (along with books that got a just bit soggy). Thankfully, a good friend went and rescued our stuff.
          We are still renting at a lovely rate per day due to the assessment on our property.  One bank termed it as a bit "sloppy", but the general consensus is that there aren't any other comps to use, and the mark-up's are too high for a conventional loan. Oh the drama!  I just want to own our home.
            Last night before going to bed, I was feeling angry about the whole thing. These things are out of my hubby's control,  as well as mine. What's done is done. Can I be honest that I was a little upset with God? I know nothing is out of His control. The chapter I read last night from Mark 11 gave me some insight into what to do in this situation. I need to let go and forgive. Starting in verse 23, it contains the infamous "telling the mountain to move" phrase.  What comes directly after that is what caught my attention.  It says, " I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too."
            Holding a grudge? Yup, I'm guilty as charged. I'm fed up with every obstacles we have been facing. It is exhausting and wearing. I think I have been given the opportunity to practice forgiveness. I need to do this not just because I might have my prayers heard again, but also because I am forgetting how much I have been forgiven by God.
            I know I'm not the only one with drama. Does anyone live in a drama-free
zone? Jen Hatmaker certainly doesn't. (This post made me laugh so hard that I couldn't breathe.) Nope. We are all daily struggling with something.  It's part of life.  Here's your chance to hold onto your happiness...forgive your "sloppy joes".

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