Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
I think it is safe to say that 22 has not been a good year for me. My birthday was in May and I was very excited to start a new chapter in my life with new adventures. It started out good. My parent's and one of my older sisters had bought me an iPad. I was loving it! It was making my job a whole lot easier.
Part of my job is to create and manage the visual art and media here at my church. I had just begun to do this regularly when my computer had gotten stolen out of my car. Not even a full week later I went to let the dog out before I took my sister to take her college placement test. As I was standing on the patio waiting for the dog I remembered that I needed to download a book that the pastor had sent me, so I had something to do when I was waiting. I opened the case and... the iPad came flying out onto the ground. The screen was shattered.
As you can imagine I was rather bummed. My computer had been stolen, and now my iPad was broke. My only other source to do my graphic designs on. So I get in the car a little upset because of this. I pull into a parking spot at the HS to wait for my sister. About ten minutes later she text me and says she is on her way out. I respond with an "OK" and go to set my phone back in the passenger seat.
As I reach across the center console my phone comes flying out of the case and lands right in my full glass of ice tea. I quickly pull it out and dry it off. It was barley still useable. Now I was VERY upset. I was fuming.
My sister gets into the car and seeing I am upset asks "What's wrong?" I quickly respond with a quick "What isn't going wrong." As I put the key into the ignition I was not in a place where I could really explain to her what all was going wrong. Until... I go to turn the key...the car won't start!!!!
Part of my job is to create and manage the visual art and media here at my church. I had just begun to do this regularly when my computer had gotten stolen out of my car. Not even a full week later I went to let the dog out before I took my sister to take her college placement test. As I was standing on the patio waiting for the dog I remembered that I needed to download a book that the pastor had sent me, so I had something to do when I was waiting. I opened the case and... the iPad came flying out onto the ground. The screen was shattered.
As you can imagine I was rather bummed. My computer had been stolen, and now my iPad was broke. My only other source to do my graphic designs on. So I get in the car a little upset because of this. I pull into a parking spot at the HS to wait for my sister. About ten minutes later she text me and says she is on her way out. I respond with an "OK" and go to set my phone back in the passenger seat.
As I reach across the center console my phone comes flying out of the case and lands right in my full glass of ice tea. I quickly pull it out and dry it off. It was barley still useable. Now I was VERY upset. I was fuming.
My sister gets into the car and seeing I am upset asks "What's wrong?" I quickly respond with a quick "What isn't going wrong." As I put the key into the ignition I was not in a place where I could really explain to her what all was going wrong. Until... I go to turn the key...the car won't start!!!!
This is when all the word vomit and the tears started to flow. I was so upset. One thing after another was going wrong.... Why? Why is this happening to me? What have I done to deserve this?
As I franticly started calling people, on my phone that was barely working, I got one voice mail after another. But one of my good friends answered her phone, I told her what was going on and how one bad thing after another was happening. This is when she asked me one simple question "What are you thankful for?"
Of course at that moment in time the only thought that could come to my mind was " I am thankful for chocolate." To this my friend responded with a chuckle. I am not very good in stressful situations I tend to make jokes to lighten the mood. In doing that in this moment I had overlooked a huge blessing. A chance to look at the good things in my life.
I am very grateful for all the things in my life, friends, family, a warm house, food on the table. But at this moment I was not looking at the good in my life. I once heard a statistic that if you go stay at a hotel or on vacation somewhere, if you have a bad time you will most likely tell ten people all that was bad, but if you have a good time you are only likely to tell one person maybe two.
I think it is the same way with the things in our life. When the bad times come and things aren't going our way that is all we can talk and think about. But when the good times come, no one hears about them.
The good news, eventually my sister's friend was able to come and get my car started again and my iPad got the screen replaced. I never did get my computer back, but that's okay because I learned a very valuable lesson: To be thankful for what I do haveSo today I want to challenge you to take a minute, think about the things in your life and thank God for what you have been given.
Of course at that moment in time the only thought that could come to my mind was " I am thankful for chocolate." To this my friend responded with a chuckle. I am not very good in stressful situations I tend to make jokes to lighten the mood. In doing that in this moment I had overlooked a huge blessing. A chance to look at the good things in my life.
I am very grateful for all the things in my life, friends, family, a warm house, food on the table. But at this moment I was not looking at the good in my life. I once heard a statistic that if you go stay at a hotel or on vacation somewhere, if you have a bad time you will most likely tell ten people all that was bad, but if you have a good time you are only likely to tell one person maybe two.
I think it is the same way with the things in our life. When the bad times come and things aren't going our way that is all we can talk and think about. But when the good times come, no one hears about them.
The good news, eventually my sister's friend was able to come and get my car started again and my iPad got the screen replaced. I never did get my computer back, but that's okay because I learned a very valuable lesson: To be thankful for what I do haveSo today I want to challenge you to take a minute, think about the things in your life and thank God for what you have been given.
