So, I need to be thankful. I need to acknowledge that I serve a God who is faithful, who blesses us in the midst of difficult times - IF we take a moment to look past ourselves and our situations. I don't guarantee that I won't let my sadness back in later, but there are reasons to be thankful.
- I am thankful that God chose Mark and I to be parents to two beautiful children. He created just the perfect circumstances for us to be a forever family. If Maia had been born without spina bifida and hydrocephaly, her birth parents would not have given her up. If Matthew's birth mother had not left him alone in her apartment on that specific day, he would not have crawled up on the window sill and fallen out - sustaining an injury to his brain. He is an adorable kid. Without that injury, Matthew would have been immediately scooped up by a family in Ukraine. Yet, God in His perfect wisdom allowed those things to happen and chose US to be Matthew and Maia's parents. I don't know why He felt like we were the best parents for them, but He did. And who am I to question His judgement? I just get the privilege of being "mommy."
- I am thankful for tears. They are proof that I am human, that I am not immune to what goes on around me. I am thankful that tears allow me release the emotions that sometimes build up inside and have no place else to go.
- I am thankful that I can pray for friends who are facing times of uncertainty, struggling with health issues, dealing with loss. Thankful that for the privilege of lifting them up before my Heavenly Father who is the author of their stories, and the divine Healer.
- I am beyond thrilled and praising God that dear friends from our church will soon be traveling to bring home a little boy from Ukraine. It has been such a blessing to watch their story unfold and we can't wait to see what happens next!
- Again, I am thankful for those of you who follow our blog and lift us up in prayer. To know that there are people who continue to do so even though the "crisis" is over means so much to Mark and I.
What are you thankful for today??
Hi Melanie & family,
ReplyDeleteI am thankful to hear an update from you and to gain a little insight to what words don't always get spoken or heard from you. I too often lately get trapped into my own downward freefall and lose focus of everyone else until it comes prayer time. My prayers have never stopped for y'all and WILL NOT stop. I pray daily for my family and friends whether they are "in need" or not. I pray daily for people I don't even know or have not even met, in faith that God will help all of His children. We all fall into the trap of asking God "Why me?". Sometimes we get the answer from Him the following day... sometimes we get the answer years later. I continue to pray that God will answer your prayers sooner, than later, to calm your mind and for y'all to see the path a little more clearly that He has paved for you and your family. Continue to stay strong, have faith in God and be thankful for the things we DO have today... not upset for the things we do NOT have today. I love y'all very much and you are ALWAYS in my heart, my thoughts and in my prayers. Please say "hi" to your awesome family for me, k? Love always, Brad
Ah Melanie. Sharing that your day was rough in no way shows weakness, lack of faith, or ungratefulness. Just as you have good days, you will have days that just plain are not. Finding a new normal is full of one step forward and one step back....and one day you will be surprised to find it feels okay more than it doesn't. You will see that you can still do everything you used to do....just in different ways. You will find that you see God's face in unexpected places and events, and you will feel Him smiling at you. I speak from experience, and because I do I feel your pain and confusion in my heart. Today I am thankful that I can offer you this hope. You are walking this difficult road with your family, and doing it with more grace and faith than you give yourself credit for.
ReplyDeleteAcknowledging the trials and heartbreaks of others shows the great compassion you have, but it doesn't take anything away from your own trials. Hardships can't be compared, just recognized. Those who have survived great difficulties are able to face life's ups and downs with more grace and stamina than those who have always had an easy road. Survivors are not easily defeated and they know to rejoice in the blessings they have. You are surviving!
I pray that tomorrow you can see the sunshine through the clouds. I pray that you feel the love of your family. I know you will feel the love Christ has for you.
Melanie, you are a woman, we women are emotional and we live with hormones that cause wonky emotions. Plus with all the emotional stress you have been through, I am not surprised you are down, teary, and sad. This is part of the process, part of the grieving, part of the re-adjustment to the new (for now) normal. Add in exhaustion and you have a recipe for emotional turbulence. Give yourself a break, let it be, rest in the Lord, and have yourself a good cry and some chocolate. Tell your Heavenly Father about your sadness and cry on His shoulder, He is always listening, and even when your sad and crying He loves you always. Making a gratitude list when we are whiny is always a good thing and a good wakeup call. Rejoicing as Paul commanded us, is also an excellent cure. So, I think you are on the right path. Letting us know about your sadness helps, because we can lift you up in prayer.
ReplyDeleteI am thankful today for God's promise of Jeremiah 29vsll. That God has a good plan for my life and that He is in control. I am thankful that I am to lean on the Lord and not my own understanding. Today I saw God's blessing because I followed His leading and not what other people told me I should do. Today I saw blessing from waiting on the Lord for 1year and 6months, I got my answer or a big part of it. Thankyou Lord for holding me in the palm of your hand.
Covering you and Maia and Mark and Matthew in prayer, even for the little things.
Hugs to you all.
Jacquelene L.
Canada