A Series of Fortunate Events

Last night I had another emotional-break down (they are pretty much becoming the norm around here…hmmm…).  I was so depressed as we looked through the Multnomah placement booklet and saw NO local pastoral jobs available except for ones that wanted 5-8 years of previous pastoral experience (even for associate pastors!).  This coupled with just the rain (it’s August!), spending way too much time stuck at home with no car, feeling too nauseaus to cook but having to anyway, and then being frustrated that my body betrayed me by being overcome with an insane craving (pregnancy cravings are truly like monsters taking over your body) for Costco lattice-topped apple pie.  Of course we cannot make the hour-long drive to Costco (which was closed at this time anyway) for an apple pie.  Then someone stopped by to visit and it’s getting to the point where I hate seeing people I haven’t seen in a long time because they always want to know “So, what are you guys up to now?” and I have to say again, “Nothing.  We can’t find a job. Nothing.”   And here’s the real part (I know, I am a very ugly person on the inside), it was one of those people whose life looks perfect–perfect kids, nice car, mansion of a house, good job, etc. etc. Hugely shallow weakness on my part, I know, but it just made me feel like that much more of a loser.

Anyway, after putting Dutch to bed, Jeff suggested we watch a movie on TV.  We found one one I’d never seen: Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events with Jim Carrey.  Really bizarre, but strangely captured our attention right away, and I found myself frustrated by commercials because I was really intrigued.  At the end, of course, these three brave orphaned children have survived the villianous Count Olaf attempting to kill them time and time again, and each time they were in a seeminly impossible circumstance and death was imminent, fearless Violet would tie her hair up in a bow and say, “there’s always something.” There’s always something that can be done, no matter how desperate the circumstance.  There’s always something.  And as the movie ended, the children saw how really fortunate they truly were, to have each other, even in the midst of a series of unfortunate events.  I knew, silly as it sounds, the message was for me.

This morning we overslept, and all three raced out the door, carrying bowls of cereal, Dutch still in his pajamas, me without a shower or combed hair, because I was supposed to meet a friend for coffee in the big town, and Jeff thought he and Dutch would come along and find a park or something.  After driving thirty minutes, just before we got to the coffee shop, I got a text for her saying she couldn’t make it.  Surprisingly, we looked at each other, and realized that we now had an excuse to be in town, together, with our son, on a special date just the three of us, a family.  We got some Starbucks, then went to the park, a fabulous preschool park at a local Christian school, where Dutch played to his heart’s content, climbing, sliding, swinging, driving boats, playing house.

Then Jeff thought Dutch had a poopy diaper (and we hadn’t brought any fresh ones), and since we were almost out at home, we figured we might as well go to Costco and get the diapers, wipes, the whole deal.  When we walked in we realized that Jeff had been desperately needing new glasses, but we kept saying we couldn’t do it until we got a job.  Well, something clicked inside and we realized this was the perfect time.  We went to the optomotrist–no appointments open today. But wait, the girl said, they just had a cancellation–could Jeff come in right now?  Um, yes!  Jeff got a new prescription, fabulous new glasses for a great price, and Dutch and I had the fun of perusing through Costco, in no hurry, eating tons of free samples and looking at kids’ books.  Then I remembered…apple pie!  I had totally forgotten!  I happily and with no guilt, marched over and there they were…lattice-topped apple pies (let it be known I have never bought a store-bought pie in my life…this is not an every day occurance).  I smiled to myself realizing that God had this wonderful morning all planned out for us, and we didn’t even know it.

On the drive home I thought about our morning:  The preschool park we’d known nothing about, the cancelled coffee date, the glasses, the apple pie, and sweet hours of treasured time together as a family–really, a kiss from God in the midst of what has been feeling like a series of unfortunate events.  I’m sorry if this post bored you to tears–perhaps it’s a bit pathetic that a morning in town, buying apple pie, is the most exciting thing that has happened to me all week, but I see it as a precious morning of divinely-orchestrated Fortunate Events.  Thank you, Father.