As I write this blog article, I am in the throes of a combination cold, ear infection, and sinus infection. I finally broke down and went to the doctor today (after sleeping zero minutes last night), and he prescribed me about half of the pharmacy's current stock of drugs. I brought my haul home late this morning, inventoried and stockpiled it, and now I'm working up the timeline for daily dosing. Ain't life grand?!
And what's even worse...Thanksgiving is less than two days away. Chances are I'll be confined to a bed on Thanksgiving or, at best, I'll be able to shuffle from couch to table, force down a few pieces of turkey and stuffing (none of which I'll taste due to congestion), and then I'll cough and sniffle my way back to the couch where I'll doze in and out of consciousness and pain. Ain't life grand?!
Well, in truth...yes...life is pretty grand! It's been a hard couple of days struggling through the congestion, headaches, aching joints, runny nose, and ringing ears of all these ailments. But even as I lay on the couch in physical misery, I cannot help but thank God for all He has given me. Let me just start my list...
1. My kids. When you have a headache, the screams and laughter of children are needling; however, it is a genuine blessing to lead a happy home!
2. My wife. She's been my nurse these last few days. Do I deserve her? Absolutely not! But I am so very thankful she's here for me when I need her most.
3. Antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals. Isn't it such a blessing to live in a world where we have drug therapies to heal our ailing bodies?
4. A home. I am able to convalesce in my own home with lights, heat, running water, and comfortable furniture.
5. Books, Netflix, this blog, and other forms of entertainment. I am thankful for the resources God has given me to entertain myself in the boredom of the sick bed!
6. Quality food. My wife, Beth, buys quality, organic foods (for the most part). So, as I heal, I am able to consume nutritious foods.
7. Friends and family. Numerous people have reached out to me with best wishes and "get well" messages. What a blessing to have people thinking about and praying for me!
8. Doctors. As broken as it seems sometimes, we still have a pretty great healthcare system in America. All I had to do this morning was drive two minutes down the road to my doctor where he saw me immediately and prescribed healing medications. There was little hassle in any of it (although I know this is not the case for everyone all the time).
9. My immune system. Hey, this is a BIG "Thank you!" to God. Without those white blood cells in my bloodstream, I'd be dead by now!
10. Resiliency. Although there are times when I feel a little sorry for myself, God has nonetheless built in me a personal resiliency that gives hope and grit during the misery of sickness. I've got this!!!
So, even though this Thanksgiving is probably going to leave a lot to be desired, it still leaves me with the opportunity to give thanks for my abundance. What abundance has God given you? Sure, there may not seem to be a lot of things for which to be thankful this season--maybe you're going through relationship problems, financial difficulties, employment distress, spiritual/emotional despair, or, like me, you're laid up in a bed somewhere suffering to feel human again. But in whatever situation you find yourself, look deeper than your current woes. Look for the good in it all...no...look for the God in it all. He's there, and He wants you to experience His joy and peace...and thanksgivings.