So it's Thanksgiving Day. My brother is home from Virginia for the weekend, they sky is pink and purple, there's a fire in the wood stove, the table is set (we never eat in the dining room unless it's a holiday - go figure). These are all wonderful things which I appreciate, but apart from these in-the-moment pleasures I can't help but think of all that I have been truly blessed with. It is so easy for me to focus on the not-so-nice things, the painful parts of life. For some reason those stay with me more. But in the big-picture version of my life, there have been far many more great things than bad things. For every hardship, God has shown up with three blessings (estimated amount)to counter it.
He has given me a car that I had no money of my own to buy. He has given me a job that allows me to work with kids, which I thought I would never get because I don't have a degree.I fully believe that this is an answer to the prayers of two wonderful women that I met in Peru. I had no faith, but they declared it in faith. Thank you Lord for hearing them!
He has saved my heart from becoming calloused because of failed love relationships. Not only that, but He has opened my eyes to forgive, and see that a large part of the hurt was caused by my pride and not by the other people. God is working on all of us,and sometimes, because we are weak humans, we do stupid things during those lessons. This being the case, what is the point of holding grudges? I do not want to build a wall out of my pride that was hurt by a confused soul.
Because of His love and wisdom, I have lived in the country that I longed to see since I was a small child. I had no idea just how impactful it would be to go on the journey by myself - His presence became my life-preserver. He put me in the home of a man and woman who had lost their daughter when she was just a baby. She was born two years before me. When I came to them, I became their daughter. I found family in every face, in every embrace I encountered. It is the best feeling I've known, to be loved and give love in a place far from this small,selfish world called the United States.
Please friends. The next time you can't see the happiness in your life, when you are feeling like there's too much sorrow to handle - think of the big picture of your life. There are things much greater than your heartaches, and if you focus on those things, you will find your heart lifted.
