thankful in all circumstances, past and present

Being home sick is one thing that opens my eyes to all I have to be thankful for!

In 1 Thessalonians, Paul wrote, "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstance, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (5:16-18).  I just finished reading The Hiding Place, by Corrie ten Boom, a story about a Christian family in Holland during WWII who helped hide and rescue Jews.  Corrie, her family and many of their friends were eventually found out, arrested, and sent to concentration camps in Germany.  Miraculously, Corrie and her sister Betsie found each other and were able to be together in the worst of all the camps they had seen.  Upon their arrival at one camp, they realized the barracks was infested with fleas, besides being filthy and unsanitary.  Betsie in her prayers that night was thanking God even for the fleas, but Corrie protested.  "How can I be thankful for fleas?"  Betsie insisted, so they thanked God for fleas, but Corrie could not see how they would be a blessing.  A few weeks later, Betsie, who stayed in the barracks knitting because she was too ill and weak for any other work, had exciting news to share with her sister.  Betsie had been talking about Jesus and reading a smuggled-in Bible to the women around her, and yet had never been bothered by the guards.  She had discovered that day that her freedom to witness the Gospel was because of the fleas: the guards refused to enter the flea-infested dormitory.

Now, I am obviously in far better circumstances than Betsie and Corrie were.  God tells us to give thanks in all circumstances, however, and that includes mine!

Today I am thankful that I cleaned the house over the weekend so, although I haven't had energy to do much, the house is still in pretty good order.

I'm thankful for this time, in a quiet home, to rest.

I'm thankful for my grandpa, who brought me saltines, 7-up, some medicine and tissues with lotion in them!

I'm thankful for my husband, who works hard and who has been taking such good care of me while I've been ill.

I'm thankful for my mom and my friends, who I got to talk to on the phone today and yesterday.

I'm thankful that I'm feeling much better now than I have been, my energy is increasing, and I'm less tired.

I'm thankful that being sick happens to me much less often than being healthy!

I'm thankful especially that God is always faithful, always in control, never changes, and is always good.  His constancy is reassuring, in a world that is constantly changing.

linking up with other thankful and beautiful ladies today: