Blessed

The Christmas Season has snuck up on me this year. That's right, it caught me by surprise. Just when I thought it was safe to plan to participate in all the holiday goings-on in our neighborhood and with our church, the unexpected happened. Many of my friends have followed our travails on Facebook. Who could imagine that both parents could injure themselves as severely as mine have this year?! I definitely didn't see this coming when I talked to my parents about moving into the apartment on our patio almost 2 years ago. In the midst of those troubles, time and circumstances have waited on no one. But, as sure as I'm sitting here, in spite of the difficulties, I'm glad my parents agreed to join us.

Please don't misunderstand. I'm not pouting about our misfortune. When I began down the "woe is me" road, I quickly remembered getting the phone call in May of 2009. The caller told me that my mother was in a car accident 3 hours away. Due to previous commitments, I would have to wait for 3 or 4 tortured hours later to go to her side. Talk about helpless...Now, after what we've experienced in the past 5 weeks, I'm so glad that when both parents recently fell injured, someone from our family was at their side within minutes to provide comfort until help arrived. I wouldn't trade that for anything - and I mean that.

Still, tonight, as I wait for the laundry cycle to finish and I hope that I will eventually be able to fall asleep, I think about our circumstances as well as those of others we know who are also experiencing difficult times. I remember a dear friend of our family who is deathly ill. Their family is caring for her, as they have for the several past months. Another co-worker is at the side of a parent who is being treated for cancer a whole state away. At the same time, my dear niece welcomed - at long last - the birth of her third child yesterday morning. Many more friends and acquaintances are coping tonight with grief, sadness and joys that are beyond my capacity to grasp or comprehend. Our family and I face uncertainty with my wife's employment as we race toward a new year. What will any of us do?

In spite of all these circumstances, I can't help but feel how incredibly blessed we are.

In the book of Lamentations, the Prophet Jeremiah writes these words in the midst of believable destruction, suffering and pain:

I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall.


I well remember them and my soul is downcast within me.


Yet, this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:


Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.


They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.


I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him."


Lamentations 3:19-24

As the saying goes "God is good, all the time; All the time, God is good." I realize that what I've written may be considered offensive or be dismissed by some of my friends. That is not my intent in writing.

It is my hope to call to mind all those little blessing that are truly everywhere and are so easily overlooked. I want to take the time to appreciate what I see unfolding around me.

I want to express the deep hope that I have that, regardless of what takes place in 2011, we're not in this thing alone. There are people who care who are within arm's reach. We often need to let them know that WE need their help.

And finally, I want to remind myself - and others - that no matter how bad circumstances may seem, WE can make it.

We can. We are blessed.