Provision

When I moved into my condo almost three years ago, I needed to do so on the cheap. I quickly realized that all of my friends had a bunch of furniture sitting around their garages. There comes a time in one’s married life that you get to upgrade the junky furniture you started your marriage with. The junky furniture then goes in the garage to gather dust… until your newly divorced friend needs things like clothes hampers and end tables.

I’m still touched by the generosity of friends who donated dusty furniture to me. It might not have felt like much to them, but to me, starting my life over, those bits of furniture helped me feel just a bit like a real person again.

When it came to the girls, I lucked out. For Lily, friends of mine, who thought they were done having kids, gave me a very nice crib. Seriously nice. She slept soundly in that crib… until my friends found out they weren’t done having kids and needed it back. Lily was big enough for a toddler bed, however, so $100 and a trip to Target later, she was set.

Hannah got a hand-me-down bed, too, except that it was made out of parts of two other beds. The headboard and the frame were in great shape and they almost fit together. Hannah didn’t mind, however, especially since the headboard featured a shelf where she could store her soccer trophies, chapter books, and hair clips.

As I said, I’m very grateful at the generosity of friends and family. But for a long time now, I’ve wished that Hannah had a proper bed. This weekend, that finally happened. Figuring that I’m not leaving my condo anytime soon, I bit the bullet and ordered bunk beds for the girls. Not just bunk beds, but a night stand, a dresser (with mirror!), and a chest of drawers. Friday night I painted their room (lavender, a nice change of pace from the default beige), and Saturday the furniture arrived. Well, most of it. The chest is on back order.

It feels so good to see the girls in their new bedroom. The paint turned out great, the furniture is appropriately cute, and the girls are crazy about their bunk beds. I’m not always able to provide for my girls in the ways I want to, but this weekend, I provided. And that’s fulfilling to me in ways I can’t put into words. I imagine what I’m feeling is a little like what God feels when he provides for us, when he repaints the walls of our hearts and brings new furniture (relationships, jobs, mission work) into our lives.

“Here, kids. This is for you. I know you’ll love it. I’m glad I could give you this.”

Image: “Naptime,” by me, Flickr (CC)