Yesterday was Thanksgiving Day. We spent a lovely afternoon with some dear friends. Yet, because I had done some leaf blowing and leaf cleaning chores a couple of weeks prior, and the cold, wet weather we have been having, I had developed a sciatica pain, that kept getting worse and worse. Because I had to do some holiday preparations, I didn't take time to rest and nurture the pain. It was my fault. By Thanksgiving Day I was limping, so I had to succumb to taking some pain pills. I know I was irritable and probably not nice to my husband, shouting orders for him to help me with this and that, which he did patiently. It was during one of my 'grumbling moments' that I realized that as a Christian I am called to give thanks to God, in every situation, regardless as to how I feel. I actually found myself thanking Him everytime I got up and everytime I completed a task, because although it was painful, I could at least still walk and I had another blessed day, looking forward to a nice afternoon. It can always be a lot worse.
I had to stop myself many times and replace the "I am hurting" to "thank God I can walk and still do so many things". I thank God that I am not alone, and have a loving husband who helps me. So, everytime I yelled at him, (not because something he did, but because of MY frustration), we would both start to laugh, sometimes hysterically, because I realized at this point there was nothing else I could do, and I am sure I looked and sounded ridiculous (he had nothing to do with it). Giving thanks and laughing about the situation I was in, made a big difference. It is hard to give thanks, when we don't feel good, or our life is not how we want it to be, isn't it. However, instead of complaining, if we can focus on something we are thankful for, our lives and our attitudes can be transformed. As it was, the rest of the day was beautiful and today, my pain is a lot less too. I know that God is always watching over us and is with us through all our pains, discomforts and disappointments, and that is something to always be thankful for.
Psalm 9:1
"I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart"
