Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Being Thankful in the Storm

It's easy to be thankful when there is no storm.  As I sit in the Emergency Room of Children's Hospital, I contemplate how thankful I am right now and how thankful I am going to be if we are sitting up in a hospital room on Thanksgiving Day.  Our pastor reminded us of this just this week...that we cannot base our emotions on our feelings. Our feelings are fleeting and always changing, so true.  


I cannot be carried away by every thought and feeling that breezes in and out, especially when we wind up here.  What is the truth?  Do I believe what I say I believe?  God's truth doesn't change because of our circumstances...my circumstances.  


Being thankful in the storm is believing when you feel like all hope is lost, it's having faith when the doctors are telling you otherwise.  It's about feeling blessed even when the answer to your prayers is "no" right now.  It's about choosing hope and love instead of bitterness.  It's not perfect or pretty, but it's real.  It's not some kind of fake happiness that every thing's "fine" or is going to be "fine." It's a peace, an assurance that something far greater awaits us as one of God's children than anything we could ever obtain here.


It is in this moment that I am most grateful and most thankful for my salvation and that this place is not my home.  All praise, glory and worship is due our Savior for the gift of redemption through Jesus Christ and for a love that covers us in the best of times and the worst of times.


This post has been written over several days and we did not end up being admitted to Children's Hospital, they were able to get Sophie Kate stable and with some med changes we were able to come home, but that is what I was thinking and feeling then in the face of uncertainty.  I hope this time of Thanksgiving finds you all with those who mean the most to you...family, friends and at the center of it all a humble heart grateful for the love of our King.


Happy Thanksgiving friends.     

No comments: