Seeing the sun even when it rains

There are times when it's raining and you can still see the sun. Well, that's kind of how I feel right now. As Mark shared, it's been a tough few days. His work situation is hard to believe. Mark is one of the strongest people I know. He is stronger than 95% of the people who take the test. He is a hard worker whose work ethic puts most people to shame. He doesn't miss work unless he is really, really sick. He is a loyal employee who takes his commitments very seriously. And yet, his job is in jeopardy. It just doesn't make sense to me. I can see if he wasn't able to meet the lifting requirements associated with his job. But, he does his job WELL - the stores he delivers to love Mark. He is courteous, helpful, kind, friendly. So, this situation is frustrating to me.
Losing our puppy (putting him to sleep) was also hard. Dryfus was a very special dog. He was a gentle giant, great walking companion, loyal friend, and kind soul. We will miss him. And my heart hurts because I see my sweet husband grieving as well. Dryfus was Mark's buddy. If I wasn't curled up next to Mark, Dryfus was. I'm glad for the time we had with him.
It's tough to see Maia sick. I know that this is part of parenthood and she will have more "sick days" over her lifetime. But, it's still difficult to see her listless and know that she isn't feeling well. Especially when she isn't able to tell us what's wrong. We've been told that kids often get sick within a few days of leaving the orphanage because their immune systems just aren't accustomed to all of the germs they encounter in the outside world. Given that information, Maia has done really well - she was with us for about 10 days before getting sick. We're trying to keep her hydrated and comfortable. There is one thing I can be thankful for related to her not feeling well. This afternoon, she came up to me wanting to be held. When I picked her up, she snuggled right in and staying that way for about 2 hours. Although I hate that she is sick, those were precious moments for this mama - especially since they don't happen when she is feeling well.
Anyway... I'm getting way too windy here. The point of my post was to say that even in the midst of these "rainy" moments, I'm still able to see the sun shining. God is good - all the time. And we are so thankful for His provision. Erica and Linda provided absolutely wonderful meals - given how much cooking I've done since we got home, I'm sure Mark is especially thankful! Maia has plenty of clothes thanks to Abbie (and her parents Jason and Missy) as well as Gail, Becca, and Lily. I've only had to buy socks and shoes.
And God has blessed us in a big way through the Seventh Day Baptist Church in Dodge Center. One of my dearest friends Del is a member of this church and shared Maia's adoption story. The church has a compassion fund and they chose to bless us with a monetary gift. There are no words to express how much this has meant to us. We did not do any fundraising or apply for any assistance to help with Maia's adoption. Mark had to take his time away from work unpaid. He is not able to return to work until he meets the company's requirements so we are without his income right now and don't know when we will be able to count on that again. There were the unexpected expenses associated with our puppy. So, finances are on our minds. Receiving this check was clearly a reminder that none of these circumstances are a surprise to God. He is in control and He is watching out for us. We don't know what tomorrow brings, but He does. And I trust that He is good - ALL the time, even in the midst of the rain in our lives. We can look to Him and see the sun!