Sunday 20 May 2012

Today I met an angel...

It's hard to believe that it's been a month since the boys and I joined Jay in Grand Cayman.  The month has gone by so quickly on one hand and yet in some ways it seems like forever.  The old saying "a lot of water under the bridge" is a true picture of our lives as so much has happened since we set foot on the island.  "The adventure of a lifetime" continues to present us with many new challenges as well as blessings and opportunities for personal growth.  

Robert is settling in very nicely with his school assignments.  He will have a birthday early next month and is very excited about that!  One surprise for me was discovering that the Kindergarten curriculum provided for Callum is designed for a classroom setting!  I'm quite sure that the consultant was aware that I was "home"-schooling!!  So there are kinks to work out there which probably will result in a change of curriculum for Grade 1.  

I am very passionate about teaching my children to troubleshoot their own problems. Whether they're solving math equations, spelling a difficult word, trying to catch a gecko or resolving a personal conflict I think it's important for them to learn how to use their brains!  Budgeting involves very creative troubleshooting skills.  I also am learning that in my own life it has been so easy to slap down the "plastic" rather than wait for cash on hand, or even repair rather than replace broken items.  "Making do" is becoming a way of life for us that we're surprisingly growing to prefer!  AND, we're using our brains too!!  Creativity in this area of life can be a lot of fun and I am convinced our marriage is growing stronger because of it!  


Today I met an angel!  It's funny how many times I have tried to attend various garage sales since we have been here but for one reason or another it has never worked out until today.  And in God's perfect timing, the garage sale we went to today was tailor-made for me, not necessarily in terms of material things we needed, but in terms of blessings!  The lady running the garage sale quickly found out that we were fellow homeschoolers, and shared her heart of compassion for people in our situation...new to the island, homeschooling their children, and setting up home in a very expensive country.  She gave us a 50% discount on pretty much everything we wanted to purchase, and in addition gave us a large container FULL of construction paper...for free!  What a gift!!


That's what I cherish about God's family...it doesn't matter if you attend the same church, have mutual friends, or even if you live in the same country. We never know when we might be called to be used of God or be blessed by God through a total stranger.  I may never again cross paths with the angel I met today, but I am grateful for the divine appointment that God provided and I pray that He will bless her for her generosity.

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