The rocking chair

I was in the middle of writing out some really heavy thoughts... life has been a bit crazy and lots of stuff to think about and process lately. Anyways, I was trying to write it all out and then Ezra woke up and needed to be fed. I sat in fed him and then rocked him and played with him - his favorite game of late is laying out on my knees and looking at the world upside down as I rock him. Amazing how much kids can be mood lifters. (Or drive you to insanity as my two older ones are refusing to go to sleep now!)

As I was sitting there rocking him, I was praising the Lord again for my rocking chair. I had an old rocking chair when Elijah was a baby - Brant pulled it out of a trash pile and fixed it up some and I loved it and was hooked on having a rocking chair. Not one of those modern glider type things... I like the feel of rocking and the look of a classic rocking chair.

Anyways, with all the moving we have done, the beater rocking chair did not make it on the "must pack" list when we moved to Indonesia. Ever since I have tried to get a rocking chair over here - tried buying one in Java (hideously ugly... I'm talking really, really ugly dragons and crowns carved all over this enormous chair) We tried to get one of those Cracker Barrel rocking chairs in a box to ship over when we were back in the States last fall... $450 - to SHIP the stupid thing over here (that was the cheapest rate we found) And while we seriously contemplated paying that - we figured paying $125 for a rocking chair and then 3 times as much to ship it would be outrageous.

So this summer while Brant was stuck in the tribe, I was bored one night and got the great idea to post on the missionary community website that I was looking for a rocking chair - did anyone have one to sell or know of a local woodworker who could make one? I got several responses from people who had had them made locally (common here to have furniture built - really cheap and lots of woodworkers around) We began the hunt from house to house looking at people's rocking chairs to see if we could find one we liked so we could hire the same woodworker. It was a bit like Goldilocks - some too big, some too fancy...

We had gotten one email from a gentleman willing to loan us his rocking chair... I wasn't real keen on the idea of borrowing a chair (especially with little boys in the house!) and I really wanted to own my own chair, but he kept calling and saying "When are you going to come pick it up?" We explained that we really wanted to have our own to which he replied "You can borrow it as long as you like" ...which is still not the same as owning it. But to make him happy, (and keep him from calling!) we agreed to come pick it up...

When we got to his house, his wife met us and showed us the rocking chair... it was gorgeous. It looked like a classic Amish rocking chair - beautiful wood and perfect in every way a rocking chair should be. :) (I'll take a picture and post it!) But then the kicker... her husband had made it - woodworking was his hobby since childhood and he loved to do projects! He had loaned it to several young moms in the community over the years and didn't have a problem letting us use it as well. So we loaded the beautiful rocking chair in the car, excited to call it ours even if only for a short time.

Then... he called us and said "I just finished my latest project and am looking for a new project to do... would you like me to make you your own rocking chair?" I almost started crying... let me see... would I like my own custom made beautiful Amish style rocking chair?

So long story, he is building my rocking chair right now! It's supposed to be done soon... maybe next week. I will post pictures - you will probably hear me crying in excitement even from wherever you are. :)

So tonight as I was rocking in Ezra and kinda discouraged, I remembered how God is so into details and how He provided a rocking chair so my little boy could lean back and look at the world in new ways. I am so thankful we serve a God Who cares so much for us.