Ready or not, here we come!

We have made the call. We are officially moving this weekend. Ready or not. I don't think everything will be done by Friday, but I'm hopeful. We had our "walk-through" last Friday. I made a LONG list of things that needed to be fixed (the majority of issues had to do with paint & drywall). As of today, not a whole lot of that had been done. I really just give up. If those spots don't get painted, I'll just do it myself. I'm tired of people who don't care about their work.

Let me just tell you about what I found at the house today. I went over to check some fabric samples for the window seat cushion I'm making. As I drove up to the intersection of my street, the painters were about to turn the corner past me. They saw me, so they backed all the way down the cul-de-sac and back down into my driveway. I watched one of them go into the house for a minute then return to the truck to leave. I went in to find that they had left everything wide open - the garage door and the back door into the house. They left all the lights on in the house and they had taken off with the key to the lock box. [They later explained that since they saw me, they thought they could leave the house open. My point was they saw me AFTER they left the house that way!] I was upset about that, then I saw something that really sent me over the edge. A pair of my pajama shorts was on the kitchen counter covered in drywall debris. As if someone had used it as a rag. WITHOUT MY PERMISSION!! I went out to the garage to see how they had gotten to it since there are several of our boxes in the garage. I had packed one of those extra-large zip-lock bags full of my pajamas and it was stored on a table in the garage, UNDER some sheets we'd thrown over the boxes. One of the workers had moved the sheets around, looking for something, then ripped a hole in the bag and pulled out this pair of shorts!! What an invasion of privacy! What a lack of respect for my property! I just cannot even fathom someone thinking it OK to do something like this, especially when these guys carry tons of rags around in their truck. I called Paul right away and asked him to call the builder - I was just too upset to talk to him. The site manager met me over there and I went over the whole ordeal with him. The builder was livid and he is going to be having a *chat* with the drywall workers tomorrow. I now feel like I need to move in there to protect my things. This incident is just the icing on the cake of several other things that have gone on around the house recently.

Earlier this week, someone stole the copper wiring out of the A/C units at Paul's office. My grandmother has been in town this week and she found out that someone keyed her car on both sides while it was in my aunt's driveway (where she was storing it until she returns home). A woman who's been going through a ministry program at our church was released back into "real life" this past week and she wound up back in jail. I had gotten to know her through a Bible Study and just love her to death. I don't know the situation that landed her in jail, but it just makes me really sad. I am feeling so disappointed in the human race in general right now. Satan has such a grip on so many people and it's very hard to see the good anymore. Don't get me wrong, I do see the good. God's Hand is more and more evident every day that goes by. Just the fact that the American Idols were allowed to sing a praise song to Jesus that was broadcast to millions of people is proof that He is Alive! The older I get, the more I find that the only One I can fully trust and rely on is Jesus. People will continually fail and fall short of our expectations but Jesus never fails.

As much as I have whined about the house (etc.!), I do know how truly blessed I am. I do know that while I complain about the little paint problems in my beautiful new house, there are many people who do not have a home to complain about. While I groan about having to wear the same shirt over and over because I don't like the 20 other shirts in my closet, there are many children who have only one shirt to wear. As I fuss over the higher prices at the grocery store, I realize that there are many parents who cannot afford to buy any food for their family. When I gripe about the family members that grate on my nerves for their over-involvement in my life, I am reminded that many people do not have a family to love and support them. I do not deserve the blessings that come my way and I cannot explain why some go without. What I don't want to do is take these provisions for granted. I do not want to get so involved in my own "problems" that I forget about the world around me. Oh God, continue to bring me to my knees in humility and break my selfish heart. Turn my eyes away from myself and help me to view the world through your eyes.

I didn't intend to turn this into a dissertation. Just thoughts going through my weary head tonight. We will move this weekend and it will all be just fine. God is so very good.