In HINDSIGHT...

I always have so much on my mind but many times can't seem to find what I want to write about! Tonight I was in the mood to write and have started several times and erased....write and erase!
I really feel impressed to share the many blessings that I have come to realize since the tornado!

That wonderful thing called HINDSIGHT! It really is an incredible thing if you think about it! Have you ever thought how many things you realize later when at first you don't see at all? Well, I have had many things come to my realization since the devastation and very scary experience of the tornado that came so close to taking so much! When in reality it brought so much!

We have talked and talked and shared the stories over and over and each time we share I realize more and more just how AWESOME the whole experience is! I have witnessed many miracles! I have totally seen the Lord's hand in our life through this whole experience!

I remember my husband telling me that since we were living in the hotel that it would be smarter and more economic to move back to our house that had not sold yet! We actually thought maybe this was why our house had not sold so that we had a place to go! I fought it and fought it but then decided it was the most economical thing to do! I told him on a Saturday (2 weeks after the tornado hit) that I guess he was right! We were going to take action starting on Monday to prepare for that and on Monday morning I received a call from my realtor that the lender came through for our buyer and that the house would close on 2 days! WOW! OUR HOUSE SOLD! What a confirmation that we were meant to be right where we are! Now we have started the steps to buiding our house which was the whole reason we moved to Forney in the first place!

I lost my car in the tornado...it was totalled! It felt really sad to feel like your car has been taken away and that things would not be the same! I do miss my car..however realizing how blessed we were that we still had Shay's car to use! You see, the day of the tornado Shay had come home just before the tornado and then realized that one of Kolby's friends was home alone and left to get him! What a blessing that was in hindsight because his car had been spared! It is what I drive now! He rides his motorcycle for now and I use his car! If he had been home his car would have been destroyed too! What a blessing!

I think of all of the things that have been inconvenient....having to get to completely dressed to take the dog out in the mornings or anytime. Spending a whole day doing laundry and sitting in the laundry room watching your clothes. Eating out almost every meal. A family of 4 living within 4 walls. Having no privacy. ONE BATHROOM. and much, much more!

You see, I have learned to appreciate life at a deeper level! The little things that felt annoying have taught me so much! I have learned to appreciate taking the dog out and have actually had some of the best conversations with my daughter when we are just walking around the hotel walking our sweet little "Choppa!"

I have learned to appreciate slowing down! Laundry day has become another place to chit chat with my kids or read!

Eating out has made me realize that I should have been cooking more when I had the opportunity to do so! We are so tired of eating out! We had gotten into bad habits of eating out to much but now that we don't have the chance to even make a home cooked meal if we wanted to ....WE CAN'T.... it has gotten OLD so FAST! I have also realized that I need to be exercising and have recently changed some of my not so healthy habits! I am grateful for this new outlook that pushed me right into the gym! I also cant wait to have the opportunity to prepare meals for my family and have family dinner again around the table together!

I have watched my kids have to sacrifice so many things and have actually been very proud of their outlook! It has forced them to spend every moment together sleeping very close to each other, sharing the same TV, sharing the same space, taking turns with the "comfy" spot, taking turns with many things! Well, I am thankful for the wonderful lessons that they have had as I have watched them get closer and spend more time being friends!

We have recognized more clearly what is important, we have become even closer, we have learned alot about sacrifice, we have learned that you really don't need much to be happy, we have learned more clearly how to truly find JOY in our JOURNEY!

We have been strengthened in our faith and TRULY the tornado has given us SO MUCH MORE than it ever took away!

Find Joy in the Journey in all that you face because the time will come that you realize in HINDSIGHT how beautiful the experiences truly are!