Sunday, November 3, 2013

The Unexpectedly Grateful Heart part 2

If you saw last night's confession, you know that I've decided to make an effort to have a grateful heart, regardless of the trials I encounter. I had my heart set on getting my new advent book finished and uploaded to Amazon this weekend. It didn't happen. My computer picked this weekend to have a crash party. I will spare you the gory details, but I am STILL downloading the software that I needed to be able to re-download the program that crashed. Disappointed? Yes, I am. Defeated? Discouraged? No, I am not. 

Here's my random, no-order list of thanksgivings for today:
- When I awakened at 6:00 am, it was light outside! This was particularly good because I've started feeding my livestock twice a day again, and I'm taking the morning shift. I've gone to the barn in the dark hundreds of times, but I still prefer going in the light. 
- it was a chilly morning, so I slipped into my decade-old Carhartt coveralls, and they still fit!
- I picked up the feed bucket with my right hand!!!! That may not sound like something to get excited about but I shattered a bone in my hand last Christmas and just six months ago I had contractures in my ring and pinkie fingers. Bending it at all is cause for celebration. Having the strength to actually use my hand leaves me deliriously happy!!! Talk about blessings! That is one BIG blessing!
- I lost my new glasses today. I was frantic but finally found them in the leaves on the patio. They weren't broken or scratched! Hooray!
- This morning, my pastor used the very Scripture passage that was my lifeblood more than a decade ago during the worst trial of my life. Everything was going wrong all at once, and this passage in Exodus gave me such hope. When I opened my Bible today, there was a big stain where so many tears had fallen that the ink I'd used to make a note had faded. I could see where the tears had been, but here is the amazing thing. Every tear had dried. He preached a wonderful sermon, but what I kept thinking was how I had tried to do exactly what the verses said (Be still) and God had done exactly what He said He'd do (fight for me). All these years later, every one of those tears are just dried up stains. It was like a little victory celebration right there in the back row. I did a victory dance, but since it is a Baptist church, I just did it in my head. 
- I had asked God for confirmation about something yesterday and it was already there this morning before I finished getting dressed. As I was thanking Him for His answer, I thought about how we have not because we ask not, so I asked God to surprise me somehow today (but to please make it a nice surprise). You are not going to believe it, but three hours later I had the sweetest surprise I've had in a long time. I laughed out loud at how nice our God is to me. 

I could go on and on. My computer is still downloading and my book is still not uploaded, but it was another lovely day.  I had Thanksgiving all day long! 

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