Sandy saw both girls and their families on Thanksgiving. Katie hosted dinner, and Sandy especially enjoyed dressing, sweet potatoes and pumpkin custard, all of which are on the approved food list! This Thanksgiving she’s been overwhelmed by the abundance of God’s blessings both big and small.
She continues to be thankful for her current doctors and medical support team, all of whom are very responsive and available. Not having to wait months, weeks, or even days for answers and direction is such a blessing. She is also extremely thankful to have Rod by her side, faithfully helping her in a myriad of ways. Last week Sandy mentioned something she wanted to have done but couldn't do herself. Minutes later, Rod had taken care of it! Now if he could just train the kids....
There have been some really rough days this fall, yet Sandy is focusing on turning all things into gratitude – including her thoughts. It is a habit, and it is strengthened by repetition.
For example: the lights inside her van don’t work correctly, and it can be annoying to be in the dark...but she is very thankful to have a working van.
On her way to work a few weeks ago, she hit a deer – it ran off, and Sandy's fine, though she didn’t realize the extent of the damage to the van until she reached school and couldn’t open the door. Thankfully the van will be fixed at the end of this semester, and Rod, along with one of his friends, was able to tweak the door enough for it to open so she doesn't have to crawl across the seats...not a good idea for someone with drains, tubes, and less strength than she'd like to have.
It is so easy to take for granted "little" things, like a warm house, a pillow, running water, laundry machines, shoes, and more toilet paper in the cupboard when one roll runs out. If we're glad for those things, let us turn that to thanksgiving! We can practice the habit of gratitude on the easy things, building our gratitude muscles so they can handle tougher tasks, like being thankful in the midst of hardship, crisis, or long-suffering.
Since the last update, Sandy has had a drain exchange as well as three procedures to drain excess fluid from her abdominal area – each time removing approximately 5 liters, which is 1.3 gallons. While she typically feels much relief after a procedure (called a paracentesis), a few times she has experienced residual pain. She is thankful for pants of many sizes and belts to assist with her ever-changing waist size.
Rod and Sandy, the girls and their husbands, and all the grandkids gathered for family pictures several weeks ago. It is always fun seeing how the kids grow year to year, and everyone treasures the physical reminders of the blessing of family.
Sandy is enjoying listening to a cd of songs that have to do with joy. Some are upbeat while others are soothing. Music is one of Sandy's favorite things, and it is a great way for her to move her thoughts from her circumstances and onto God's promises. Sometimes we need to sing the truths our hearts can't quite say.
Her Christmas tree is up, the singing stuffed animals are in their places, and other decorations representing years of memories are slowly finding just the right spots for the next month. The kids have started talking about the annual Christmas Story play...we'll see how the newest two members of the bunch change things up...last year they were both too small to participate, but this year they just might be too mobile NOT to participate!
Looking ahead – Sandy is thankful to be able to finish out this fall semester; the last final is Dec 10. Her goal is to teach this spring and then retire; we’ll see if God’s plan is the same.
Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." God's idea of straight is sometimes very different than our idea of straight. What seems crazy to us makes perfect sense to Him. What feels out of the way, a waste of time, or circuitous is straight to Him.
Sandy wanted to share this verse with you: "Once you were less than nothing; now you are God’s own. Once you knew very little of God’s kindness; now your very lives have been changed by it." 1 Peter 2:10
Has your life been changed by God's kindness? It's a promise that we absolutely will experience when we trust Him with our lives, including the parts that are hard and don't make sense.
Thanksgiving might officially be over, but the habit of gratitude need not end. We challenge you to write down 5 things every day for which you are thankful. Sandy would be happy to read your list and rejoice with you in the big or small ways you've been impacted by God's kindness. Remember, it's a promise!
