Soaked to the Soul {And saying yes!}

Hello and how I’ve missed you all! I’ve been five days without internet and am overjoyed to be back connected to you, dear friends. I sneaked off to Starbucks yesterday to check my email and sat silently among the hustle and bustle with tears slipping down my cheeks when I discovered what that man of mine had done here … my steady man.

And now, I sit here in the darkness in my ugly-beautiful home, heart-full and hoping to somehow capture what these days have held. I’m at a loss for words. How can I catch my breath long enough to write when He keeps taking my breath away? Truly. I thought our house selling was cake enough, but He’s doled out frosting on top and then whipped cream and cherries and sprinkles and I’m sitting here speechless at the abundance before me and where, oh where do I start?

And how do I even begin to share it with a hopelessly inadequate supply of words. And I fear it will come across, at best, as a glorified boast of how wonderful our life is. At worst as shameless bragging. That is not it. On the one hand we are still the same Pattersons – we get sick (and are), we’re prone to frustration, we find ourselves impatient, our kids misbehave. We now live in a somewhat shoddily-built 1970s house and our carport is FULL of damp boxes and other random eye-sores. The wading pool and patio table are just sitting in the driveway. The front porch bench is engulfed in empty boxes to recycle. I’m sitting here on the couch in my pajamas, un-showered and unkempt, sipping coffee leftover from yesterday that I’ve reheated in a saucepan on the stove.

Just want to be sure the picture is clear.

On the other hand, God has sent us down the roaring rapids of His abundant provision this last week and we are soaked.

Soaked to the soul by His kindness.

The house was supposed to close last Friday. We wanted it to. Had prayed that it would (so that we didn’t have to pay overlapping rent and mortgage costs). But at 4pm on Thursday afternoon, as I stood in the midst of a garage that still needed to be sorted, cleaned, and packed, I fought back tears and sent a short text to my man: “Overwhelmed.” Walking into the kitchen past my laptop, I saw our realtor’s name pop up in my inbox. Message: Docs not ready to sign until Tuesday.

I sigh, not with disappointment, but relief. Grace. Thank God for knowing what I need more than I do. Even though moving day was still Friday, that meant we had through the weekend and beginning of this week to clean and finish up. Blessed margin.

Another email pops up. A KATU Channel 2 reporter. Asks me to call. I do. (Another blessed provision as both children rest long that afternoon providing ample time for uninterrupted talk on the phone.) We talk long, she explains. Two short news stories on Frugal Living choices. One story on our house-sale and down-size, the inspiration of The Hole in our Gospel, the choice to live on less. Can they film our move, interview us, come to our new house and see? I shake my head. Amazed. Yes, of course.

I say it to her but really to God. Yes!

We talk more. A short story on the Food-Stamp Challenge, local healthy eating on a food-stamp budget. Can they film a grocery-shopping trip, post a simple menu for families wanting to make the change. Can she come film us cooking a simple meal, come see our home full of boxes?

I say it to her but really to God. Yes!

Yes, God, yes!

So we go back to the house. They film a tour, our favorite parts of the house, a short-interview around our dining room table. The kids are a riot, they think it’s a game. KATU certainly doesn’t see perfection but at least some laughter and light? A bit of true joy? Perhaps, it seems an audacious request, perhaps a bit of Jesus too? Is it too much to ask that they see Him too? Dear Lord, please?

Because that’s who I’ve seen in the faces of all those who labored with us last weekend. Those strong arms and backs, those hot meals and groceries, those hours spent playing with kids while we worked. All the faces came and smiled, blessed, and said yes to our requests. And yes I’ve certainly seen Jesus’ face in dozens of theirs and His grace has soaked us to the soul.

In Christ it’s always yes, so we can live the yes, and we’ve happily received your yes and we say thanks.

Come visit at the farm? More tomorrow on this place. I had no idea what He had in store … Thanks for reading.