And the fun continues!

Wow, what a couple of weeks it has been! I had my rather uneventful birthday on the 18th and wasn't feeling too crash hot mood wise, but was looking forward to the gathering my good friend Kat DC and my housemates were putting on for me that weekend. And so on the 21st, the day before my party, I went to pick up one of my housemates from Strathfield and had my first ever car accident! It was completely my fault for looking in the wrong direction at the wrong time for a split second, and I ended up rear-ending the car in front of me. So, that sucked. I was pretty shaken up as you might imagine. I rang up the insurance company and made the claim and did everything I was supposed to do, then booked the car in for an assessment for the following week with the insurance people. Meanwhile, my lovely housemate Christen and Kat DC sent a message around saying that if people wanted to contribute anonymously to the excess when they came to my party, they could. I didn't really expect much, considering most of my friends were uni students, but I thought it was a nice thing for them to organise all the same.

So Sunday came, and even though I was so not in the mood for partying initially, all my friends being there really helped me so much, and I was feeling a bit better by the end. And then they handed me this wad of cash - they had raised over half the insurance excess!! I couldn't believe it! I was just staggered by their generosity, and I praised God for having such amazingly awesome friends who would be willing to put themselves out like that, even though it was my own stupid mistake that landed me there in the first place! Reminded me a lot of the gospel really... an undeserved gift!

The next day, Monday, I woke up with a nasty cold, but still thankful for the day before. That's when things took another turn.

On Tuesday, I took the car in for the assessment. I sat in the sterile waiting room, half watching Ellen on TV and reading OK! magazine glorifying fashion and celebrity. And then the assessor came and got me. And he told me that the car would have to be written off because there was too much damage to be covered by the amount the car was insured for. I was gutted. That car was brought brand new by my Nan and Papa, and had been in the family the whole time. The guy (who seemed very nice) apologised and told me that I needed to clear out all my personal possessions and they would send me home in a taxi. I felt completely numb, like it wasn't really happening. I cleaned out everything I could see and think of, and the guy cave me a couple of Reflex paper boxes to cram everything into, and he called me a cab. I had a nice chat with the taxi driver, trying not to think about what had just happened and the reason I was in the taxi.

I got home and of course called my parents to tell them the bad news. They were pretty startled too, but not angry or anything, just thankful that I was ok (and also that the car was insured, I'd say!). Then Mum told me that Nan's doctor had called - Nan had stopped eating and drinking and taking medication, and the doctor advised the family to come to Wentworth Falls to be with her because she would die soon. They had started her on morphine, so she basically slept the whole time. On Wednesday morning, Mum drove up to the mountains to see Nan. She died that night - she went peacefully and Mum was with her at the time. I think it was a very sad, yet profound experience for Mum. Mum called me and told me Nan was gone. I felt a mixture of utter grief, but also relief... grief for losing her and feeling like I had missed out on really knowing her well because of dementia which had distorted her personality so much; and relief that it was finally over and that the battle was finally through. Not to mention the relief of knowing that Mum would not feel the burden of trying to care for her disabled husband, my Dad, as well as trying to spend as much time as possible with her dying mother who was 3 hours away from home... it had been a real problem for a couple of months and was wearing her down so much.

And so the last few days have been filled with travel to the mountains, many tears, many messages and phone calls, lots of hugs, lots of prayer, a fair bit of feeling lost and lonely, and a lot of just not knowing what to do with myself. In the midst of all that, I had my last Sunday with my PBC family, and have been trying to keep up with uni work (not always successfully either), and find a new car. I will be attending Nan's funeral on Wednesday in Lawson in the mountains, then Thursday will be taken up by uni, then Friday I will be driving to Dubbo with a friend so I can pick up the car I'm buying from a couple of friends of mine who live out there. Then I'll be heading back to Sydney and the craziness will continue into next week with uni and ETC then a 4 day uni excursion... man... I just want to breathe freely for a while, and I just won't have time!

So there you have it. Life is weird, suffering sucks, but God is still so so so good. My friends and church family have been so wonderful and supportive, and I couldn't ask for more. God has looked after me every step of this unfolding mess, and for that, I am so grateful. I have been humbled by the love and kindness and support I have been shown by my brothers and sisters in Christ, and I hope they all realise how much I appreciate everything they have done for me during what has been a bit of an ordeal. Thanks everyone. :)