When You Realize The Cavalry Ain't Comin'

       "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."  ...Psalm 46:1


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So there I sat in church, toward the back on a wintry 1990 Sunday night in Nevada. Tom had driven with coworkers to his job 100 miles further into the desert, Naomi was in the fellowship hall behind me with her girls' Bible group.

Me? My head meditated (again) upon the fact that our Nevada life felt, well, blah. Boring and sad, actually, for although this move had given us more money, we now had fewer friends and less church responsibilities and good times.

Most days within our mobile home out upon a patch of sand, I struggled just to stay happy for Naomi's sake.

But that night! A thought nearly shook me there on the church bench, one with the gist of this:


"No one is coming to fix your life. No cavalry, not your parents or old friends nor mysterious wise strangers. No, if you want a better life, you need to create one. Ask Me to help you fix what's wrong rather than just sit around, soaking in self-pity."


Wow. I've forgotten what our pastor preached that night, but 29 years later God's mini-sermon still rings clear. Why? I've reminded myself of those words tons of times since.

They even returned to me days ago when I posted this at Facebook--

Yes. How true that's been for me. 


When I realized Today's music doesn't make my heart dance, I radio-searched for oldies tunes (and symphonies) which did.

When my vintage-loving self had a chance to move to old-fashioned Buffalo, I accepted it without arguing (though, yes, I was tempted because, hey. Moving 3,000 miles away from everything I'd known scared me). 

Then later back here with all the vintage-ness, I began wearing dresses and aprons even though none of my friends did, nor did they play June Cleaver in their old houses (like I was). We invited many friends over for meals and Tom and I searched for old-timey diners, too, then felt like we'd traveled back in Time. 

Oh, and as you know, we toured lots of vintage homes not updated since the 1940's - 60's, via estate sales.

When we were low on money (moving here, Tom took a pay-cut), I borrowed books from the library which taught me to recycle packaging and cast-offs and make cute things from nothing.

Also, the library showed me ways to garden big in our tiny yard.

I discovered which thrift shops had the best clothes and selections of books and home decor. We 'curb-shopped,' also.

Basically all our 26 years here have been filled with creating the life I truly wanted. Even without much money. Even though I'm a counter-clockwise person in a clockwise world. Even though almost no one locally shared my Vintage Homemaker dreams.

And oh, what a marvelous, adventurous quarter-century it's been. 

And yet? What a train wreck those years (and I) would've been if I'd clung to my early Nevada days attitudes--


Things aren't the way I like.
I don't know how to change them.
I don't have enough money.
I don't know how to fix/repair things.
No one gives me the help I need.
I'm lacking so many skills.
Life's not fair.


So today? If any of those dreadful sentences are in your vocabulary, please let them go. Excuses like those, lie to us. Discourage us. They cheat us out of a wonderful life we could be living now.

And please don't be like the old Debra who waited for mysterious folks to rescue her, either. 

Today, after asking for wisdom and God's help (our only true cavalry) :


Plan.
Learn. Study.
Watch.
Do. 
Fix. Repair.
Save. Share.
Reach out.
Ask for help.
Seek. Find.
Do what you can.
Give. Help.
Enjoy it all.



And create. Create, create, create so that one future day you'll look behind you and absolutely love what you see there.

"I can do all this through him who gives me strength."  ...Philippians 4:13



“At the end of the day, let there be no excuses, no explanations, no regrets.” 

― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free



"For with God nothing shall be impossible."  ... Luke 1:37

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Don't you feel like a moron when you discover something so late in Life that you should have always known?

Man, that's how I felt while shopping for clothes online and one commenter said she appreciated that a knit top had the kind of neck tag which was sewn at both ends, allowing you to place the hanger through the middle, making it so that the shirt never slips off.

Good grief. Only took me 59 years to notice such a handy-dandy thing. 😞 


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Oh, and Naomi's flying to Florida with her band today to play in a wedding this weekend. I'd love it if you'd pray with me that she'll have a good, safe time. Thanks so much!


And oh yes! My mom is home and feeling much better and I truly do thank each of you for your prayers. 


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