"For I Know the Plans . . ." Part 2

Here I was, living in Minnesota almost 7 years after God promised me a husband and family. I had friends who believed the same thing as me, we had our own "Christian singles group" because we were tired of the singles groups we found at church. Most of the people who attended had been married once or twice before, had children . . . they needed different things spiritualy and we just didn't feel like we fit in; especially the night I went alone, and they were studying Ephesians 5. A chapter I hold near and dear to my heart.

Ephesians 5 talks about marriage, in some cases people know it as the "submission" chapter. After all the studying I had done, I had bought a Concordance & Bible Dictionary, so I was doing some serious studying. I knew what that Greek word "submission" meant. My "take" on it didn't go well with the group, even with Biblical backing. No more singles group for me at church!

Then the first BOMB hit! My pretty plastic block tower got bumped into by my brother! He's 15 months younger than me, had been dating a wonderful girl for many years and decided to get engaged to her!!! WAIT GOD!! I was supposed to be engaged first! I've been waiting, doing everything you asked me to! Doing it all right!!

Then bomb #2! More blocks fell as my next younger brother (3 1/2 years younger!) announced his engagement to the girl he had only been dating for a year and a half!! NO!!!! NO!! NO!

Then bomb #3 - 6 months after that first brother got married, they announced they were pregnant!
NOT FAIR GOD!!! NOT FAIR!!! More of those newly placed plastic blocks fell and I could put them back right.

In less than 2 years two of my brothers had taken my blocks away!

My first niece was born in 1999. She was beautiful, healthy and amazing. In 2002, her sister was born. She was also healthy, but born with the birth defect - Spina Bifida. I headed home to Wisconsin to visit the new addition. I wasn't working my office job anymore and was picking up hours at the Y to make close to full time, so it was pretty much an open-ended visit if I wanted (this was the beginning of November).

I came home again at Thanksgiving and found out they couldn't find a babysitter who would take both nieces and didn't want to split them up when my sister-in-law went back to work. Within 2 days my decision was made, I was moving back to Wisconsin to nanny my nieces.

My brother knew of a small apartment for me to rent, the upstairs of the new house they were going to be moving into and renting. This was great! I'd be back in Wisconsin, able to grow close to my nieces and have to be in my thirties living with mom & dad! What could be better?

It now seemed I had moved on to the more solid wooden blocks. A bit steadier when built with, or so I thought . . .