Giving Thanks in All Circumstances

When we focus on God instead of our situation, His presence radiates like the sun.

Monday was a much awaited day off for me. Yes, we had just had a couple of weeks off for Christmas, but the College Football National Championship had been the week before and it had me and my family and for that matter, everyone I knew, up well past midnight, and the old gray mare, well…..

Anyway, I was super excited about the long weekend. I did have to do fasting blood work that morning, but I was okay with that. I could just sleep until it was time to go, piece of cake.

After that one little chore, I went home and grabbed a cup of coffee and some breakfast. I was reading my devotional and giving thanks when my teenage son came downstairs and collapsed in a chair. He said he didn’t feel well. I took one look at him and I knew it was the flu.

His high fever and a visit to the urgent care clinic confirmed my diagnosis. I had to go to two pharmacies to get the prescriptions filled. I also had to make a Publix run for extra juice, soup and crackers.

There was a time in my life where the entire ordeal would have really bummed me out. My carefree, no plans day was no longer mine.

But, I have come to a point in my life and in my faith, where I really try to give thanks for all that I do have when adversity crosses my path. It’s amazing when I give thanks, how the many blessings, once hidden in my subconscious, show themselves.

I was blessed to have the day off to take him to the doctor. We were blessed to have great medical care close by. We were blessed to have no wait time and a very kind doctor we had never met before. We were blessed to have transportation to get us there. We were blessed that the second pharmacy had what the first one did not. We were blessed with insurance to cover the medications. As I continued to give thanks, I remembered that my hubby had already taken two additional days off because he had maxed out his time. He would be home to care for our son. Since it was a holiday, my son would miss less school.

As I prayed, I was increasingly sure that none of this was a coincidence. God’s timing is always perfect.

Now, no one in their right mind considers the flu a blessing. Jesus never promised a trouble free existence on this side of eternity. We live in a broken world. Pain and sickness are sometimes going to be present in our lives here on planet earth.

Yet, when we walk in faith and open our eyes, we can always see God’s presence with us. He’s always close to His children, helping us along. When we focus on ourselves or our misfortune, we often miss it. When we focus on Him, it shines as brightly as the sun.

A sick child reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂