Where much is given, much is required...

Yeah, we all know that lovely little saying. In sacrament meeting this Sunday, a sister turned it around a bit and said "Where much is required, much is given". Something to keep in mind...and boy, has the original verse been on my mind. I can't ever remember a more stressful time in my life (and there have been many times!). There were the years Ryan was in school while working full time and I was basically a single mom. Evelyn and Marcus were born in the midst of that. Then spending the past six months completely on my own with a whole house full of sick kiddos (and sick mommy). Well, trying to sell my house is the absolute topper I think. Trying to do it basically on my own. It's insane! Between the yard work and trying to keep my house absolutely spotless (did I mention that I have 4 young, rambunctious kids?), I'm kinda at my limit. But no, then there's trying to get Marcus adjusted to going into nursery each Sunday, trying to put together my lesson which I'm supposed to teach in RS this Sunday, trying to find housing in _________, trying to keep my family together, ect. Just when I thought it couldn't get any harder, the Lord showed just how much it really could. :) *sigh* Well, my car started making funny noises and so I took it into the shop so that a good friend of ours (who is an amazing mechanic--and very honest and trustworthy) could check it out and see what's up. Turns out that it's the engine and that it has to be replaced. Uh, dude, my van is a '99 with about 140,000. It's not even worth the cost of a new engine (or an old one for that matter, believe me, we checked). This isn't something that can be ignored either. We had planned on getting a bigger sized van in a couple of years, but it looks like we'll be trying to get one much sooner than that! But before we can do that, our house has to sell.

Where much is given, much is required. Or where much is required, much is given. It's required that our family survive the separation from Ryan. It's required to continue to rear the children up in righteousness while on my own. It's required to have a house of order. It's required to have the faith that the Lord will guide someone who is in need of this house to find it. It's required to know that the Lord won't give us more than we can handle--in every aspect. It's required to have the faith that the Lord will take care of our family, that He's mindful of our needs and desires. It's required to keep his commandments. Well, at least it's required to do all this to receive blessings. Perhaps not the exact ones we hope/wish/pray for, but the Lord knows what is best for each of us. I've been praying for my house to sell--I just got a call from a realtor who wants to come tomorrow afternoon--at the exact time which Marcus has a check up with the doctor while my other kiddos were going to home with the babysitter. The Lord knows what's best for us--a quick call to the babysitter handled the location of the babysitting (to be at her house now). And now I won't have to reschedule with the realtor and pack up my kids and disappear some other time. I am thankful. I know that as we are faithful, we will be blessed. I know that it's not easy. But would it really be called a trial if it wasn't? I know that we are all growing from these experiences--and for the better. I know that someday our family will be reunited. I know that we are an eternal family. I know that as we keep the commandments, we truly will be blessed.