My mom got sent to the hospital after a couple falls in her assisted living apartment, and she ended up with one of those nasty infections. And she wasn't happy about it. I had to go to the hospital and sit with her for hours every day, and getting her to accept that she had to go to rehab to help her walk again was an ordeal.
On top of that, I caught a cold and felt yucky all week.
Plus it was Holy Week and there were special church services and some extra church work I had to do.
Okay, it could have been a lot worse. Nobody died or came down with anything fatal. We had food on the table, heat in the house for those chilly nights, and my sister came for several days to help with my mom.
But overall, it wasn't one of my better weeks.
I've been reading Isobel Kuhn's books, and one thing that struck me about this early 20th-century missionary to China: she always saw God's hand at work in everything that happened, good or bad. In her book, "In the Arena," she considered that times of trial are not given for our punishment, but rather so that God might be revealed. Without difficulties in our lives, how could we know how faithful and almighty our God can be?
God got me through the week with cold pills and Nyquil. My mom got out of the hospital and settled into a rehab bed on Easter Sunday. And the risen Christ brought joyous song and the thrill of the resurrection after days of darkness.
Thank you, Lord.
This makes me think of the song Blessings by Laura Story.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOOFAaUGfRE
You're right. I often think of those lyrics when bad things happen. God never promised us an easy life, but often we find our blessings in the difficulties.
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