Thanksgiving and Blessings

November is here, and I have had plenty of time to consider my situation these days. It is so easy to fall into a spiral of depression (especially with chemical imbalance trouble anyway) that can slowly lead us away from our main goal, a closer walk with Jesus. All too many times, we end up seeing all of the pain, hurt, and unfairness that is in the world, and completely forget that God puts many blessings in our lives. Things, sometimes, that get overlooked in the struggle of today’s living.

I remember a story I have received in my email many times. I don’t remember the exact wording, but it goes something like this:

Two angels traveled the earth looking for blessings to bestow. They came to a rich mans house and asked if they could stay for the evening. Grudgingly, the man offered them a place to throw blankets down to sleep on the cold floor of his basement. The younger angel was angered by the man’s lack of courtesy and that he didn’t even offer them a proper bed to sleep on. The older angel noticed a hole in the basement wall, and so he sealed it. The younger angel could not understand why he did this. The first angel just said, “All is not as it seems!“

The next day they came to a poor run down farmhouse. When they knocked and asked if they could stay the night, They couple showed them into the house, fed them, without even eating themselves, and had the strangers sleep on their bed, while they slept on the floor in the main room. During the night, the angel of death visited the house, and took their only cow. The younger angel was distraught, and could not understand why they had allowed that to happen.

Once again, the older angel said, “Peace, not all is as it seems. You see, the hole in the basement, was how the rich man found his gold hidden in the wall, and I sealed it.”

Yes, ok, I see that, but what about the farmer and his wife?”

“Once again, all is not what it seems. You see, the angel of death came for the wife last night, and I bid him take the cow instead. “

Like I said, that is not the exact wording of the story. I wish I could find my copy of it, because it is a very good lesson. Sometimes we focus too much on what we have lost, and forget to notice what we have kept. I had one lady tell me recently that we don’t always know how much God truly saved us. We pray for intervention, and yet there are times people will tell you that God did nothing. But, what if they weren’t supposed to be alive, and God saved their lives, and their future, but all they know is that they have lifelong health issues from the accident. God has a plan that is to save as many for Heaven as will accept and believe.

In 2 Peter:9-10

The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed.

Wow, what love and compassion. God DOES NOT WANT ANYBODY to perish. God’s plan is so that as many people as will, will have the opportunity for redemption. He doesn’t make the bad things in our lives, He makes them bearable. So I am going to try to spend this month counting blessings, and see if that doesn’t make a difference in my life and others.

1. I have the opportunity to write poetry and praise despite my health issues.

2. I have my children with me, supporting me, and we are working together as a family to rise above the crises in our lives right.

3. I am surrounded by super supportive friends, and God always has made sure that the person with the words I most need to hear was the person I found in need.

4. I am thankful we have a roof over our heads, despite me losing my home to foreclosure early this year.

5. I am thankful that my son has a job that he is doing well working, and it is helping his confidence in himself.

6. I am thankful that my daughter has helped out the local high school by taking over coaching a sport that she truly loves, and hated to give up. (color guard-flags, rifles and sabers.)

7. I am thankful that my kids have had the opportunity to get to know two of their great-grandmothers fairly well.

8. I am thankful that God has put me in a church home that refreshes my spirit,

9. I am thankful that my illness is not progressive, and while it cannot be controlled by medication, I have the ability to sense when it is getting too much and sit down before I get to a critical point and could pass out.

10. Last, but never least, I am thankful that God opened up the world of Gather to me, when I needed to be able to write, express, and be heard by others in my seclusion, and to still be able to spread His word through my writing.

This is just the list of my main blessings. I truly understand that God has done so many wonderful things in my life. God chose not to heal my current condition, for reasons only he shall know until I see Him. Just because your illness, injury, or that of a loved one was not healed, it does not take away God’s love. We will not know until the day we face our own judgment what all God truly did in our lives. I think I will take the time to thank and praise Him now for all that he has done! I hope you all have a blessed day, and many more times of God’s blessing!

Grace, mercy and peace be unto you from our risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!