31 Days to Clean--Day 8

Well, didn't quite get to the rest of the pantry portion (from yesterday) but I did do my two drawers.  Boy, do they look better.  I even found some things I'd been looking for forever...and some stuff I hadn't, like a packet of egg dye tablets from last year...or beyond. :D  I almost begged off and planned to do it in the morning.  I've been having a bit of pain today and I thought that would be an adequate excuse.  I'm glad I didn't.  It made me feel better to accomplish the assigned task.  Not less pain, but mentally better. :)
For the "Mary" task, it was "suggested" to think of some time when God used adversity to refine us.  Now that's a toughy.  There are far too many to choose from starting with the moment of my conception.  It took me a long time to get to a place spiritually where I could accept the early life God gave me.  Fortunately, God gave me a positive outlook (though it probably wasn't always obvious to those around me) and a wicked sense of humor...meaning I learned early to laugh at the bad things that happened to me that were completely out of my control. As I struggled through years of confusion as to where God's sovereignty could be aligned with all the things I had gone through early on, I was constantly led back, in memory, to my grandparents, in particular my grandmother.  God used them to save me physically. Their love held me together and, as they were Christians, I now can see that God was loving me through them.  As I look back on those years now (thoughts I do not often entertain) I can see God's hand working.  It is truly amazing how He held me back from worse.  I should have, I could have, but I didn't, and not because of anything in me.  It was always His work, His timing, His will.  
There have been so many other things, as there always are in the lives of Christians.  My oldest two children almost died at birth, each for a different reason.  My second had "issues" related to a birth defect.  My third has an auto-immune disorder.  My fourth is perfect. ;) But that wasn't good enough for us.  No, we couldn't end on a good note of perfect health and mental intelligence, we had to go for one more. :D So our fifth has his issues, whatever they may be. He's certainly a lot slower than his church birth buddy.  Through all this I learned to fight for my kids, both in this world and through prayer.
In everything I've learned that it is not all small stuff, no matter what the popular book says.  It's mostly big stuff, but there's still no reason to sweat it.  There's a song that I can't remember the title of right now, but one of the lines says, "I guess we're all one phone call from our knees." That's what I've learned.  It always blind-sides you, but God always has it under His control.  Romans says that all things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose.  If we believe that, we will be able to have comfort & contentment in even the most difficult trials.  Have I achieved this? No. But it is always a blessing (ultimately) to see God working His work through me & in me through adversity and, every now & again, calm times, to reach that place that all Christians should desire, contentment and peace in God's will for their lives.
My "six-list" for tomorrow:
Quiet TimeShower (seriously, if you understood my life you'd know why this is on the list. :D)School/housework/day 9Take the Teenager to get his hair cut (requested by the ballet head-mistress)Ballet/Library--pay fine :/Grade Papers
Gee, such a nice list.  Now be a good list, and get done. ;)
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Addendum: well that took less than 15 minutes for the list to be disturbed. :D Seriously, it must be a new record. ROFLOL.