Playing the Glad Game

Soooo.....we are back :) We have spent that last couple of days in Sea World San Antonio with some of our summer staff. We have had (bought last year) our 2 year passes.....so we get 20% discounts, free preferred parking, etc. So we spend a limited amount of money- we have several tips for spending less money at theme parks. :)

Yesterday we were getting ready to leave and come home, and we heard a loud pop under our vehicle - never a good thing especially when it is followed by seeing something fly behind you in the review mirror.

So we of course pulled over hoping we just drove over something.......then we heard a LOUD noise as we turned. Again, not a good sign. We couldn't see anything and continued, but thought maybe we should double check. So we pulled into another parking area and did more turns and didn't hear that loud noise again.

We decided to pull onto the interstate, but had to pull off again....sound of rubbing made us nervous.....found a Texas turnaround....made it back to a alignment & brakes place and of course now it is raining again.

As we walked in...the place was clean, they were friendly, and when we said that while they did the check we would have to bring in our 8 children....they changed the channel on the tv to an educational channel for us, brought out more chairs, and were very sweet.

Well, the bad news was that the housing for the bearings- popped open on the one side. After finding out that they couldn't just replace the one part (because of course they could get just the one part, but that part wouldn't make it there for another week).....then found out our 15 passenger took the more expensive housing because of the model. They gave us the original price quote anyway. :) Still not cheap, but better.

While we went to eat- Happy 35th Birthday Jason!!! We got the news that the other side was missing bearings as well. Now we could go off without fixing it, but they were worried about it. Our decision. Well.....let's see......sometime in the future have to repair it anyway- more time- more money- again anyway.....possibly be stuck beside the road because it could freeze up on us with 8 children for fun- UM NO!!!! So they only charged us labor for changing one of them....got us 2 at the discounted rate instead! All total $750! YIKES! Happy birthday Jason :)

So what do you do when you had planned on going to the waterpark at Sea World for part of the day, but it started storming and you had to cancel. It is your husband's birthday, you end up hearing strange noises on your 15 passenger, have to have it repaired for a lot of money.....

You play the glad game! The what? The GLAD GAME. OK so our kids have the old old Polyanna movie which I love.....in which her family were missionaries. One time she really wished for her birthday she could have a doll. Instead in the missionary barrels- she got crutches. Seems pretty twisted....but her parents (who have by now died and she goes to live with a rich aunt that has a hard time showing love) told her to play the glad game. Be glad that even though you didn't get what you wanted, or even needed that at least you don't have to use the crutches.

What a difference it makes in life when we play the glad game! Was I happy to have to tell the kids that we couldn't go to the water park? nope. Happy that it was storming on our travels home? nope. Happy that something popped off our vehicle? nope. Happy about spending a lot of money that we were going to use to pay off our adoption loan? NOPE!

BUT I AM GLAD!!! GLAD that everyone in our home is safe! GLAD that everyone in our home is healthy! GLAD that we had the money to pay for the repair without an additional loan! GLAD we were not stranded beside the road with our 8 children! GLAD that no one was injured when our housing unit for the bearings- popped!!! GLAD that we were still able to come home yesterday! GLAD that we are together as a family! GLAD that we live in a country where we can praise God! GLAD that our couple of days were safe and relaxing so we can come back and minister the rest of the summer to more campers! GLAD that we GET TO do and have sooo many things that most will never experience!

So what are you GLAD for today? When I think of our experience in Ethiopia, the situations a lot of our campers come from, people who have children who have health problems, families that aren't together right now, people who have no clean water or food.......my brain quickly remembers- GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!!! Even when we experience things that are not exactly fun.