spring

I love Spring!!!
I know, I’m rushing it.  But I love the songs of the birds, the wind in the trees, the little flowers showing their faces, laughter of children, the blue of the skies, the bright golden sun, and the green of the grass peeking through the brown of the earth.

There’s something fulfilling about Spring.  I believe it’s the newness of life.

Like in scripture:  A time for all things.  There is a season……………

Our lives have seasons too.  Birth of a baby, death of a family member, graduations, weddings, birthdays. 

This past 7 months has been a big change in my life.  I went from being employed full-time in nursing to applying for disability only to be turned down twice and now I’m on my 3rd attempt.  I’ve sold my mobile home and moved into an apartment uptown.  I gave my dog away to a family with 5 boys, only to long for another pet.  My grandkids want me to have a Pinney Pig.  Guinea Pig.  I’m thinking about it.
I’ve gone from having money, to being flat broke.  I think I have $12 left in my bank account.  But it’s totally amazing what we can do without when we have too.

Yesterday I did a load of clothes in the kitchen sink and  put them on the clothes rack to dry.   30 yrs. ago we wouldn’t have said anything about it.  But now with all the modern advancements, I am condemned for doing it.  Laundry is $1 per load.  I don’t always have $1 in quarters.  I don’t see anything wrong with handwashing some articles of clothing.  I can’t do jeans though.
I’ve spent more time walking places too instead of driving.  Living on Main Street gives me easy access to Downtown, church, and movies, restaurants, etc..  Walking is good for a person.  We’ve become a nation of spoiled people.  When I was in high school, we walked across town to school.  It was 15 blocks.  We made it on time.  We even walked in the winter.  I never had my own car until I was 20.  I was able to walk to work from my home.  Who needed a car?
Now with gas at $3.50 per gallon, I find walking an enjoyment.

I can’t afford cable anymore.  So I had them shut it off.  I enjoy movies and so I rent movies from the Library, 7 at a time for a week.  Other than that, I listen to the radio and play the piano.  Sometimes I hone upon my skills of playing pool with Virtual Pool 2.  Trick Shots.  Computer game.
I also don’t have internet anymore.  I use the library computers or my neighbors computer like I am today.  It’s fine. 
I also lost my home phone.  Without a job, makes it hard to keep the bills paid.  I have a SafeLink phone right now.  I miss my home phone though.  I’d like to have it back, if just for the sake of emergency calls to the doctor.

Other things I’m living without are:  Health insurance.  I tried for the Badger Care Plus program, but there are 18921 people ahead of me on the waiting list.  I tried for a Food Share card and was denied.  The county said I didn’t return the right paperwork.  Weird, I gave them everything they asked for.  Don’t understand the government.
So I’m using the Food Pantries.  Bad thing, you can’t get everything you need, only some stuff.  But that’s the breaks with the food pantry.

But most of all, I am thankful that I have a roof over my head, food on my table, clothes on my body, God, friends, family, good neighbors, music, and the love of my grandchildren.  What more could a person want? 
I have all that I need.  God has  provided these things for me.  He is showing me that I don’t need everything that I want.  He’s showing me that I don’t need $18,081 per year to survive in this world.  He has showed me that even with $0 He can and will provide if I put my trust completely in Him.
Thank you Lord for your promises.  And thank you for the promise of Spring.