Hallelujah!

I have been trying and trying to make the pieces come together for the upcoming camping trip, but it just hasn't been working. We don't have enough students or adults to make it work. I have been experiencing plenty of worry, a stomach just waiting for the ulcers to form, quite a few anxiety dreams, and numerous prayers.

The Lord works in mysterious ways. I guess I thought the answers to my prayers would come in the form of students, parents, and adults swarming the school office to sign up today. Instead, the miraculous feeling of peace came when I suggested to the powers that be to postpone the trip for a month.

One of the most memorable stories growing up was "It Could Always Be Worse". My parents would read this story about a farmer who lived in a very little house with a large family. He repeatedly asked his rabbi what he should do about this problem and each time the rabbit would tell him to bring in one of the farm animals to live in the house with the family. By the end of the book, the house was filled with the husband, wife, kids, chickens, sheep, goats, donkey, cows, pigs, and a horse. On the last visit to the rabbi, he instructed the farmer to move all the animals back to the barn. The farmer then went back to his house where it seemed so spacious and peaceful with just his family living there.

I am now approaching the beginning of the school year with a similar feeling. Now I "only" have to do the million things that are required to start a new school year. It could always be worse. I could be organizing a week-long camping trip at the same time.