Amazing isn't it

Isn't it amazing the way that God works? He answers prayers before we even really utter them. Yes, I know that with my head. I'm discovering that with my life lately.

I've been in need a more dependable car. My current car is pretty much held together with duct tape and a prayer. The past few months, repairs have been needed. God's been gracious in the fact that the repair always fell on a payday or when there was money available for the repair. Plus the repair was never too expensive.

This past weekend, my mother and I were down in Port Lavaca. That's where my uncle currently lives, but where my father grew up and where my grandparents lived until they died. Our family is in charge of the family reunion this summer on my grandmother's side of the family. So this was a meeting to do a little estate things from my grandfather's estate as well as to plan the reunion. Or to at least pick a couple of dates and figure out a location.

While we were there, my uncle wrote out checks for those of us who are the heirs of the estate. It's not the first time this has happened, so that wasn't anything really new. What's so amazing about this time, though, is the way God was working without my even knowing it.

Friday evening or Saturday morning, my mother had been praying during her quiet time that somehow-someway, God would provide the much needed funds for both my brother and myself to get a new car. Needless to say, 8-10 hours later, that prayer was very visibly answered in the form of estate checks. These were a considerable amount. Then to go on to show just how awesome God is, my uncle reminded me that my aunt works for a car dealer. I'd completely forgotten she worked for a car dealer. She asked me what sort of vehicle I was looking for, and I gave her the range.

But God wasn't finished yet.

I facebooked my aunt with a little more detail early Monday morning. She replied with a link for a 2012 Ford Focus. The dealership was going to sell it to me for way less than the asking price and they would deliver it to me after work on Tuesday.

I just love it when God shows that He's awesome. Because I know that there is NO WAY I would have been able to afford a car without God being awesome like this. Especially since I've not yet team built to earn a Mary Kay car.

An email to the insurance agent got me off of mom's insurance onto my own plan for very inexpensively. I even have all of the temporary insurance cards that were emailed to me.

All of these things add up to my knowing without a doubt that God was working. The timing, the way everything fell into place. Everything.

And the car drives beautifully. Of course I'm still figuring out where everything is - like how to adjust the seat, the windshield wipers, etc.

Grumble Hallelujah by Caryn Dahlstrand Rivadeneira

If you've ever been at the point where you're crying out to God, trying to find a way to praise Him in the midst of all the low moments in life, then you'd be please to know that there is hope. Written with a touch of humor, Caryn Dahlstrand Rivandeneria shares her experiences that show that there is a way out of that pit and that even while being in, the praise to God might not be shouted, but rather grumbled.

I found I could easily relate to some of the things that the author brings up. I've been at points in my life where my world's completely fallen apart and I don't begin to know how I'm supposed to praise God. But I've also had those mountaintop experiences too. She talks about how her outwardly her life was all put together, but then she admits that she was broken inside. She said that these hurts are meant to be grieved. When I read that, I was like "WOW." And my first thoughts went to the 10 year period I'd spent burying a deep hurt and not allowing myself to fully grieve. But what I also loved about this book was that she tells of how several different Bible characters had to reach that point where they begged for God to intervene so that they could fully enjoy their relationship with Him. Another thing that I loved about this book was that each chapter had both discussion questions and a prayer to make your own. Unlike most nonfiction books that had discussion questions that I'd ignore, I actually took the time to answer some, if not all of these.

I'm not a nonfiction reader. I typically don't like things that will make me face my faults. But I found I really enjoyed this book. I gained an understanding of how to really praise God through even the points in my life that aren't going the way that I'd like.

I received this book for free from Tyndale House Publishers for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.