Day 25: Shelter from the Storm

I've always been intrigued by the Isrealites and the way they wandered in the desert day after day, year after year, for 40 years!  Can you imagine?  

The Manna Principles has helped me to better understand trusting in God's daily provisions and  sometimes It feels as if God were almost taking me through the desert experience. 

Last Friday, after the homeschooling convention, we made our way to Fort Wilderness.  As we were driving along, we noticed big dark, low lying clouds.  The type of cloud you want to be driving away from, not towards. 

Well, guess what?  We were headed towards it and the closer we got to the camp, the bigger ands darker the cloud became.

The trickle of rain began.

Drip.....Drip......Drip......Drip,

 Drip,Drip,Drip Drip!!!!!!!!!   

All of a sudden, here we were, under a Florida summer rainstorm;

and we were going to camp?

Finally, after what seemed like,  f o r e v e r..........

we got to the campsite. 

By now it was dark out and I was standing outside, having a conversation with God and letting Him know how much I dislike camping (Not because he didn't know it, but because I needed to vent) when Carl came bearing bad news. 

Water had gotten into our tent and two inches of it were covering the floor.  Some of our bags had gotten wet too.  My brother-in-law checked his tent and had a similar situation.

So there we were, in Disney, on Memorial Day weekend, with no sleeping arrangements at 9:45 P.M.

Yes, just like the Isrealites, we were about to start wandering Orlando. 

For a minute, I escaped mentally. 

Would we find a place to stay? If so, when?

 

 We had been up since 4:30 A.M, taken a three hour drive,

and spent the whole day planning next years homeschooling agenda as I perused all the curriculums, books, activities, and videos known to the homeschooling community. 

I WAS TIRED!!  I was missing my comfy bed back home, 

when I realized.. God was showing me what it was like for the Isrealites! 

Now, I know we were trying to live daily, but this was a bit much! 

Sean, my well-informed brother-in-law, with the help of modern technology, found us a two-bedroom condo that had a vacancy!

God was providing our shelter from the storm.

I was relieved and aware of just how good I had it.

I could travel in my minivan with air conditioning and a GPS to get to my promised land for the night. 

And as promised, The Lord delivered.  A beautiful clean, modern condo with nice comfy beds and a dryer. (to dry all the clothes that had gotten wet in the tent) 

Being rained out of the tent had been a blessing after all...if only it would of rained Saturday and Sunday too...

just kidding, we ended up having great weather and enjoying the rest of the camping trip.

As I think back on the event that took place, I remember Jesus and the fact that He didn't have a place to call home.  

Jesus lived daily right down to the roof over His head. I wonder if God was showing us Jesus' daily dependancy on Him. 

Luke 9:58
Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

For a little while, I had a taste of living daily in a way I was not used to. It made me appreciate, all the more, what God had provided for me.  

Sometimes we take God's daily provisions for granted and the norm we're used to can cloud out the fact that he's blessing us... daily.

What necessities has God blessed you with today?  

Count your blessings.