"I Made It Through the Rain...."

(Note: This post was started on Thurs. May 13 and published Sat. May 15. Hence, the confusing dates...)
"I Made It Trough the Rain...". I'm old enough to remember that Barry Manilow song. Yikes. However, we really have made it through the rain. And golfball-sized hail (baseball-sized in some parts!). And tornados. And 70-mph winds at 3 a.m. As I inspected our property afterward, a prayer of thanksgiving burst forth because we didn't suffer any damage -- not one loose shingle. Not even a crack on the glass backboard of our basketball goal.
Others were not so lucky. A mother of 3 lost her life. Her young children are in critical condition and their home is gone. Her husband is left to grieve and rebuild. A family from our childrens' school lost their home as well but are thankful that the 4 of them were unscathed. It's been quite a week weather-wise. More storms are predicted, but hopefully not as violent and damaging as those we've had.
In life, one never knows when a great storm is going to rip apart everything you're accustomed to. Life can change in a heartbeat. The night last November when Matt called me to tell me he had just lost his job was the start of our storm. I totally expected he'd have new employment by now. It's been just about 6 months....it's one heck of a storm. Our house has been on the real estate market since January 23 without a single offer. Lots of interest, but no bites. Big, big storm.
God has been doing a lot of work in my life and Matt's since our storms began; the kind of working that brings me to my knees, awash in sorrow for my sin and unteachable heart. He's teaching me A LOT now, and I think I'm finally to the point of "a ha! That's what this is all about!" As I look at our dwindling bank account and the empty inbox on Matt's email account each day, the storms seem more and more severe. However, I know that the work He's doing in my heart is worth it. Our marriage is so much stronger than it has ever been. I now attack housework with joyful ambition in anticipation of potential buyers. I'm learning to think before I speak. I deal with my children less harshly and more lovingly.
Eventually we will get through this storm --this will not be the death of us. How much better the end result will be when we start our new life and I'm closer to being the person I was created to be!
One final thought: yesterday was May 14 and a rainy Friday, much like the rainy Friday on May 14,1993 -- the day Matt and I became husband and wife. Last night we had the best anniversary celebration we've ever had. We hired a babysitter (a rare occurrence for us) and had a lovely dinner at a nice restaurant....just the two of us. We spent hours talking and laughing and enjoying eachother's company. I truly can't remember the last time we did that. I surprised Matt with an anniversary gift that thrilled him and he didn't even get upset that I'd spent money for it. (A refurbished Ipod Touch 3G for him to use while he works out.) It was truly one of the happiest kid-free times we've shared in our marriage. I will never, ever forget it, because the evening was perfect.
Storm? What storm?