Only upwards from here ...

The day started like this.

Not my fault.

I left the car parked at school to teach recorder and 

returned to find that a lady had somehow 

crashed into the rear of our car 

and then into the kerb in front of our car.

90 minutes 

many phone calls

2 two trucks

2 police officers

and one good friend

later

... I thankfully returned home to Laura, still sick on the sofa.

Jacqui, my good friend,
not only
shared the waiting with me
and provided support and calm advice,
but she also helped by collecting some much-needed groceries,

and bought these:

  ... a birthday gift.

The mercy dash to the crash site was not the 

fun get-together that Jacqui had planned to celebrate my birthday,

but hey, at least we met,

and chatted

...  sometimes with the tow-truck guy ...

Then a day of phone calls and emails, 

sorting things out.

Some brief attempts at relaxation in the lovely warm spring sunshine,

feeling thankful that my bad knee is very much better this week.

Laura recovered after Emily came home

and they must have felt Spring,

because they set up a picnic in the front garden!

Which is still continuing now, in the twilight,

despite Emily having been stung by a bee.

(am so glad my girls are not too grown up for picnics like this!)

That icepack must be working well.

* * *

It has been a crazy week for us.
almost too much,

what with sickness, knee pain,

school assignments, 

and now no car for a while ...

What's going on?

Then this afternoon I read this, from Psalm 33

⁶ By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,

   their starry host by the breath of his mouth.

⁷ He gathers the waters of the sea into jars^[a];

   he puts the deep into storehouses.

⁸ Let all the earth fear the LORD;

   let all the people of the world revere him.

⁹ For he spoke, and it came to be;

   he commanded, and it stood firm.

 ¹⁰ The LORD foils the plans of the nations;

   he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.

¹¹ But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever,   the purposes of his heart through all generations.

... and I have to remember that God has everything under control,

that it's all part of his purpose of refining us

and building perseverance and hope 

within us;

and making us thankful 

for life and family and friends

and giving glory to Him 

in it all.

 ²⁰ We wait in hope for the LORD;    

he is our help and our shield. 

²¹ In him our hearts rejoice,    

for we trust in his holy name. 

²² May your unfailing love be with us, LORD,    

even as we put our hope in you.