Closing doors and Opening Windows

It's been said time and again that when God closes one door, He opens a window or another door. In our case it is true. For years my husband and I have prayed to be able to move back to Oklahoma where we are from and where all of our familly except one son live. We've been in Louisiana, over 400 miles from our nearest relative for 18 years.

On December 18th of this year I was in Virginia staying the month with my son, Bill and his family, including my beautiful grandbaby. My husband, Frank, called me. He had just been laid off.

It was a shock and totally unexpected. He was scheduled to begin Christmas vacation that day. The plan was to go to Oklahoma to get our other son, spend a day with his cousin who has cancer, then drive to Virginia. He did that, but I had to coax him. His fear of the loss of income was uppermost in his mind, as well as mine. I knew it would do us all good to see each other. I knew Frank aks Grandpa needed to see the baby.

Despite the worries we had a good family Christmas. We were more able to focus on what is important and what the meaning of Christmas is all about.

The long trip back in the car was quiet and it became more tense as we got closer to home and the reality of our problem.

However, when we stopped in Oklahoma to take our son home we stayed with Frank's cousin, Ron. During that visit Ron offered Frank a job at his distribution warehouse. What a blessing. Suddenly, things didn't seem quite so bad. God finally opened the window for us to move home.

The timing is fortuitous. Ron has cancer. They want me, as a nurse, to be near and to go along with them to MD Anderson when he has chemo. For some reason he will listen to me when he won't listen to his wife or physicians. Ron is only 54 and has three children. At this point in my blog I would ask that those of you who pray to pray for Ron.

Other windows opened for us. Ron has a truck he isn't using just now. His son will bring it to us in a couple of weeks so we can be loading things into it. We won't have to unpack the truck until we find a place to live. While we search for a place to live we are invited to stay in their lake house. Another window open. God is good.

Now, we are busily trying to finish some bedroom renovations we were in the middle of so we can put our house on the market. Packing things up is another story. Because we've been here so long we have a small house full of things. I have to make decisions about what to keep, what to donate to the thrift shop and what to throw away.

My books. I only did one shelf. It was my shelf of Christian books. Many I just couldn't part with, but I will be donating a box full to my church library.

But, what of my other books. I can't get rid of any of my autographed copies. How does one choose which books to keep?

I wasn't able to write while I was in Virginia. Silly me, I thought I would have time even as I took care of Rosalyn. When your my age and in my physical shape you nap or sleep when the baby does. That, my friends, is one of those great truths.

I must finish an interview I did for a local paper and get it submitted. I must finish an article for my writer's group newsletter before I leave. Where will I find the time? Where will I find a way to turn off my mind, which is running rampart with moving thoughts, so I can focus and write?

I attended my last meeting of my writer's group, the Bayou Writer's Group of Lake Charles, Louisiana. It was sad for me. I was weepy. I had to relinquish my spot as secretary and as a member of our conference committee. Our new president, Jess Ferguson, is going to make it a fruitful year. She has plans for each meeting, which always includes learning opportunities. I will miss my group and hope to find one in Oklahoma.

I am a new member of a small critique group. I need it and know it will be beneficial to me.

So, I am about to climb through the windows God has opened for me and make a new start. I ask for prayers and best wishes. And, encouragement to continue writing.

Nona