If I Were in Charge

This past Sunday, we were at Luxembourg Gardens walking around as a family admiring the many statues.

Lena said, "If I lived in this castle, I would fill my garden with statues of puppies. Golden retriever puppies. Then, I'd make paths that looked like paw prints for people to walk on."

It makes me smile to think of her dreams.

It also has made me think over the last few days, "If I were in control of all things, what would I do?"

Things have come to mind like...

-Live near my family. I'd make them all move to the same neighborhood where I live. (How's that for selfish!)

-Have one day each week or month of visiting for an extended time with a good friend from the USA. It's wonderful to be back in France, but I am really going to miss the fellowship I enjoyed with soooo many friends in the USA this summer! I have been blessed by you, and I wish I could have you face-to-face in my life on a regular basis instead of every 2 years.

-Make the Dollar and the Euro equal in value.

-Erase challenges for friends. I have several friends going through challenging things right now and I would just love to save them from it all.

-Make the weather just a bit warmer and sunnier. Maybe a bit less wind, too. (The wind here has been crazy over the last week!)

-Take all the disappointments out of life for my children.

-Add one room to our apartment - an office/guest room/music room.

-Have a car for grocery shopping day.

-Put an IKEA within walking distance of our home. (OK, that one might be dangerous.)

-Have perfectly obedient children every day of the year.

-Know what is going to happen in the future in many areas of our lives.

-Make my mouth speak perfect French.

-Control the outcome of the next presidential election.

-The big one of late: take the things I love about American and the things I love about France and put them together. Sometimes it gets a little silly the thoughts I have. Such as...big libraries full of English books, huge yards, stores open long hours, Target, huge grocery stores, clean and well equipped bathrooms mixed in with a super mobile lifestyle, less activities crammed into a week, everybody goes to the park (so that you regularly see your neighbors there), people ride razor scooters all over (kids and adults) and super fresh excellent foods that just plain feel great inside your body. To me, that would be wonderful!

And on and on it goes...

But, I cannot make any of these things happen.

And, as I thought about this list while I was pulling my grocery cart up the hill today, I realized that these are the very things that stretch me and grow me and make me run to the Lord each day.

I've also concluded that it really doesn't do me much good at all to think about what I wish could happen, but instead to pour my heart out to my God and trust Him to handle it all.

And...instead to be thankful.

Thankful for the rich summer we had in the USA. It was amazing to be with so many great friends. I still find myself pondering conversations and thinking about things shared.

Thankful for good friends in our neighborhood - genuine great French friends. What a gift.

Thankful for a huge improvement in my French after the break in the USA. Miraculously, I've stopped translating things into English in my head and I can understand so much more. Where before I would struggle like anything to think of French words when I wanted to speak, they are just 'there' now. It's truly a miracle! I have a lot more work to do to become truly comfortable in French, but I am so very thankful for the leap in progress I've experienced!

Thankful for the newly painted rooms that look so clean, fresh and inviting!

Thankful for a great French church to attend with great friends.

Thankful for a great International church to attend with a small group of kids who are Lena and Ryan's ages and a youth pastor who has began a group just for their ages! (Huge answer to prayer!)

Thankful that our residency cards are finally done and ready to be picked up - even though it took 5 visits and about 18 hours in the immigration office to get the process finished this year.

Thankful that my kids are off to a GREAT start in school this year. Extra thankful that Todd is taking school seriously and seems to really want to please his 1st grade teacher. (What a relief!)

Thankful for God's Word that reminds me every day that He is GREAT and in control of all things.

Thankful that I don't have to worry about the future, because I am resting in God's hands.

And, this list can very well go on and on as well.

I think I'll continue to 'camp out' on the thankful list.

And...get busy working on finding French conversation partners. We just set up tutoring times that begin in 12 days! EEEK! Yes, I'm even thankful for how tutoring pushes me to keep striving and working!

Now, I'm off to make dinner. That's another thing. I hardly cooked all summer. What a joy to get a break from this regular 'job', but then to thoroughly enjoy coming back to this part of my life with a renewed joy. Yep, I'm thankful for that too.