“Give thanks to God in all circumstances." ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:18
On this frigid winter morning, Abby
hadn’t slept well the night before. “Please,”
she thought, “just let daylight come with the delicacy of a gentle dawn; let me
doze underwing.” But the rising sun had
other ideas. A beam of light snuck
through drawn curtains and started prodding her eyelids as they strained to
remain shut.
Shedding the last glimpses of a dream, her eyes remained
closed; soaking in the warmth of her duvet before letting blue eyes greet the
sun's rays. Reluctantly, Abby uncovered
her face and blinked several times. She
sat up, dragging her feet off the bed, and stretched her arms skyward.
Groaning, she sat up on the side of the bed, letting her
feet find the floor. Standing took a
little effort – feeling like she’d just finished a full day’s work rather than
about to begin one. Abby wasn’t looking
forward to another Saturday of washing clothes, doing dishes, cleaning house,
and all the other things that’d been neglected during the past week.
She sighed. Pulling
on yoga pants, shirt, and heavy coat, she already knew what waited on the other
side of the door.
There stood Cool Whip - their extra big, extra fluffy white dog. She adored his smiling face, energetic body, and wagging tail wondering how he woke that way every morning without even a single cup of coffee.
Abby leashed him up and opened
the front door so he could take his morning walk and do the necessary business.
He dragged her towards the Maple tree, his
nose sniffing all the way, as below freezing winds slapped her face.
She breathed in fresh, crisp air
while gazing upward, capturing the morning sunrise blessing the sky with all its
beauty. It was one of those baby-blue
skies, not the psychedelic candy-blue nor the washed out grey so characteristic
of wintry mornings. The clouds were as
puffs of radiant joy, as if inviting those born of wing to ride warm thermals
heaven-bound.
A grateful smile creased her face. Maybe today wouldn’t be so bad, after all. Abby looked forward to another day of hugging her
kids, petting her dog, talking with my friends, living in God’s grace and
sharing her own love as well. What a
glorious gift.
Our lives can be overwhelming at
times. We can easily get discouraged,
frustrated, and burned out by circumstances beyond our control. But, when we remember that God’s in control
and our lives are not our own, we realize how our Savior encourages and comforts
us in our times of need.
May yours be a day of love, of laughter, of kindness, of goodness, and a one of pure joy. Make each day a blessing that you share with God and with everyone you meet today.
Thank You, Lord, for Your amazing work in our lives, thank You for Your goodness and for Your blessings over us. Thank You for bringing hope through even the toughest of times, strengthening us for Your purpose. Amen
