Gifts of Family
I appreciate all the prayers and love that have been extended my way as I work from my parents house in Okmulgee. My father was released from rehab, which we celebrated because he had been gone from home for seven weeks. But his ability to care for himself without assistance was not a reality. In my mind, he would be like he was before his fall but it was naive to believe that. Instead, he needs someone strong enough to help him until his left arm is healed up enough to take some weight to push out of a chair. He is frustrated and wants to be independent so he tries really hard to be a good patient but we have bumped heads all week. I know so many people my age who are also caring for aging parents. I also know so many people who have lost both of their parents already. On one particularly difficult day, we were driving to a follow up Dr’s appointment and the Dr had moved to a new location. Then we had to load back up and cross town and by the time we got there we were hot, sweaty, frustrated and fifteen minutes late. My mother kept asking me why those other people got to go in before us and I had to say “Because they were all on time.” When we finished, we hit a drive through for dinner and on our way back to Okmulgee said out loud what we are thankful for. It help move our attitude in the way that made everything ok despite our set-backs, inabilities and frustrations. We were thankful to have each other. We were thankful that Dad had made it home. We were thankful for Dr’s who figured out what was wrong and the treatments that helped. We were thankful for air conditioning! So many more things that you do not need to know.
As I pondered what to write about today, I decided to lean into this understanding of living a life of thankfulness. How do we program ourselves to see the world with attitudes of grace and gratitude for ourselves and each other? 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 reads “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” Three simple things 1) rejoice! 2) pray and 3) give thanks in all circumstances. God hopes for us to thrive in this way. God offers us these simple instructions to help us navigate a world that seeks to divide and anger. But that is not who we are called to be.
Today I give thanks for you all. I give thanks that I never worried about folks complaining that I was working remotely. I give thanks for the way you love me, each other and even those that you do not know. Because I see Christ Jesus in each of you. I see your hearts and they make me rejoice. What a wonderful way to be!
God love you and I love you.
