I always wanted to be a mother. As a child, I played with my rag doll, Sally Wing. Sally has a flat, plastic face with painted features, her hair is made of heavy gold yarn and she’s stuffed with some type of straw that must surely be deteriorating.
After practicing for motherhood all those years, I was extremely excited when I got married and was pregnant 4 years later. Most surprising, were all the other pregnant women I suddenly began seeing. Everywhere I went I’d notice them, at the grocery store, church, restaurants, everywhere! I’d never realized there were so many pregnant women!
These days, I’ve been noticing people who are wearing casts or are in wheelchairs. A few weeks ago, I fell and broke my ankle. Now I’m noticing how many other people also have broken limbs.
The morning after my ankle injury, I was in quite a lot of pain as I sat in a wheelchair and waited at the hospital to be taken to outpatient surgery. I was really feeling sorry for myself when I looked up and coming toward me was a man in a wheelchair who had only one leg! That was such a wake-up call for me and despite the pain, I thanked God for my ankle and was reminded of His presence with me.
I’m at home recuperating and there have been times when the “poor me’s” have threatened to take over. My foot is elevated most of the time, and when I get up, I won’t win any races. But each time the “poor me’s” have begun, I’ve been reminded of how thankful I am to have my sore leg and ankle.
If you made a list of your problems, and another list of your blessings, which list would be longer? Three weeks ago, I would have listed my broken ankle as a problem. Today, I can also list it as a blessing. I’ve been blessed by an outpouring of love from family and friends. I’ve had phone calls, messages and cards from people I haven’t heard from in years. I’ve had time to “be still”, something I don’t remember doing since I was a child.
I learned this prayer years ago. Perhaps you said it, too:
Thank you for the world so sweet.
Thank you for the food we eat.
Thank you for the birds that sing.
Thank you, God, for everything.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” It makes my heart happy to think about how God blesses us, even with life’s challenges. “Thank you, God, for everything!”
-Susan Easttom, Director of Family Ministries
