A Gift..

I've grown up most of my life in the suburbs.  I don't like traveling in to the city.  I don't like parallel parking.  I don't like the congestion of the traffic.  And I think people are mean.  Rough and crass.  To be in the city, you got to be strong and confident.  I try to avoid the city unless someone drives me.  I do like eating there though...

Well, I've been trying to be proactive in my life.  I found myself being led by my anxiety and trying to live my life burden and anxious free which leads me to be at home all day since I find it extremely difficult to travel with four kids.  Hubs always tried to accommodate this for me because if I went anywhere like grocery shopping or anywhere with the kids, I'd be miserable and crabby when he came home from work.  Well, I've been convicted for the last 6 months to be a "noble"wife.  Reading and memorizing Proverbs 31:10-33.  I try to be diligent and to really serve Hubs...  I'm trying...

So this summer, I've been taking the kids to the pool, library, mall, and trying to find places to take them. I'm trying very hard to free up Hubs time in the home.  Things I can clearly do while he's at work, I need to be diligent.  It's hard but  I try to remember godliness with contentment is great gain..  So true..  Not that I don't falter.  I often do. hmmm...  this post is ending up going on a tangent.

Anyway, I called a friend, a mother of three, to join me to visit the Morris Arboreteum because I heard they have  a tree adventure thing there.  She then suggested going to the Franklin Institute that it'll be free since she has a membership and she can get me and my kids in for free.  My old self would be very anxious and I wouldn't` go because of the driving in to the city and the anxiety of having to find street parking and then parallel park the big van.  But I know that the kids would enjoy it and that they've never been.  How could I pass up an opportunity for the kids to experience the Institute for free.  I studied the directions I printed out from mapquest.  I tried to get a visual... there were a couple of anxiety spots but I prayed.  Sounds so stupid to pray about something like that but "cast ALL you anxiety for He cares for you".  

As I was driving, I didn't get the usual butterflies that I usually get going somewhere unfamiliar.  I was pretty calm.  I also decided if I can't find parking,I can park in the institute's parking garage even though I know hubs would want me to drive around and try to find street parking to save money.

I drove slowly up the side of the Institute towards the front and I see an open spot right in front of the Institute.  But as I drove up I see a parking meter van pull in to it but I think he must of saw me because he pulled up further to open up the spot.  I wasn't sure if I could park there.  As the parking meter guy came out of the van, we made eye contact, I gestured," can I park there?"  He nodded.  Awesome!  I was able to parallel park with ease.  YES!  While I was getting the stroller out, I noticed the parking meter guy fiddling with my meter.  I thought oh, it must have been broken and he's fixing it or something.  He opened the thing up and took the thing inside and was doing something. He then left. I got all four kids out and I went to put money in the meter and to my surprise,  I see 2 hours already in there.  Did he put those 2 hours in for me?  Did he really do that?  How sweet !  He must have took pity on me seeing my four kids.  

It was a lot of fun.  My kids had so much fun.  You know, I realize that I decide not to do things because I think it'll be too much for me but when I choose to do it and I choose contentment, I always am blessed by it.  God really truly provides strength. " I can do everything in Him who gives me strength."