Thankfulness!

I've been giving a lot of thought lately to being thankful, specifically about TRULY being thankful. How often do we thank God for all we have? Do we do it on a daily basis, at church once a week, or just at Thanksgiving when we are ready to eat a massive meal?

Sometimes it takes going through something very painful and hard to appreciate what we have. My parents divorced a few years ago, and I must admit that I hadn't truly appreciated our times together as a family until those times were 'different'.

My husband and I have gone through some health challenges over the last 3-4 years and we've become much more thankful for things like hospitals and doctors as a result of needing medical care. I know that our health care in Canada could be a LOT better, but we live in a country where we can get to a hospital and have stores stocked with medicines. We have the freedom to walk in to a church on a Sunday and to vote in an election.

All this to say that we need to be much more thankful for how God has blessed us. Often we get so wrapped up in our lives and circumstances that we forget to even thank God. Especially now with so much talk of a souring economy, we still have more than many others in the world.

I have not shared this 'publicly' before, but our son Lazarus was born in June 2008. He is a beautiful and healthy baby! A wonderful gift from God. I say this because he truly is a miracle baby. Lazarus was not expected, was not planned, but as I've learnt (and continue to learn) God has other plans for our lives!

Right from the start of my pregnancy there were complications and I spent much of my early pregnancy in bed. My doctor had trouble even hearing the baby's heartbeat and in fact I was told to 'prepare for the worst', it was suggested that I 'terminate' and that it would be a miracle if I carried the baby to term.

Those were not easy words to hear! My famiy rallied around me and got Dale, Shanarah and myself through Christmas (Dale even spent a few days in the hospital with a phneumonia over the Christmas week) and over the next several months I was given doctor ordered bed rest.

The only thing that got our family through this time was the prayers of our family. There were days it was diffiult as the physical pain was constant. Even with the bed rest order, I would go to my chiropractor weekly (thanks Dr Freddie for keeping me able to walk). People would comment 'oh, you look uncomfortable', but the truth was I could barely function. I lived with constant contractions and pain in various parts of my body because of the pregnancy, sickness was something my husband Dale and daughter Shanarah got used to. It was a tough time, I had never experienced pain like I endured during those months! Giving birth 9 years earlier to Shanarah was easier than my pregnancy with Lazarus!

But, the end result was so very worth it! Lazarus is wonderful, and I have thanked God for him everyday for his life. I would go through it all over again in a second to have him in our lives. God truly walked with our family and got us through it.

Through this all, I have appreciated so much more my family, my husband and daughter MORE than ever because of this. I appreciate being able to drive now after months of not being able to drive. I appreciate my health more, hospitals more, etc etc.

Please be encouraged this Thanksgiving! I know that everyone goes through different things and I don't want to make light of anybody going through a paintful situation, but I just wanted to share this in the hopes that it would encourage somebody. God will help you through your situation, whatever it may be! I am living proof!

If truth be told, I have struggled with this post. Exactly how to word it, what to say. People who know me well know that I am a private person. I don't like to share really 'personal' things with people I don't know (and here I am posting this on the internet!), but it was something that I felt I was supposed to do. So, please try to understand my heart in this. I want more than anything for you (the reader) to be encouraged no matter what you are going through. I want for you all to truly appreciate what we have been given, because we can in the craziness of life take advantage of all that is available to us in the Western world. Even with our economy as it is, we have a lot to be thankful for!

So, with that, I will close this 'novel'. God Bless you! Thanks to those Joykids listeners who continue to pray for us.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving :)

Virginia