Acknowleding the clouds

Ever since my post We Need Jesus Here, where I talk about how the hard things in my life are minimal compared to the immense amounts of hard things the people around me face, I’ve been thinking there should be a disclaimer.   I don’t mean to say that anything that is hard should be passed off as, “Well I don’t have it nearly as bad as ____, so it’s not worth mentioning.”  Because the truth is–if I lost my toe the same night someone else lost all four limbs, I’d still miss my toe!

There is a place for grieving loss.  Yes, of course.

There are also times when I am surrounded in a safe, caring community when I make my needs bigger than they are.  I can become consumed by them.  Being here is a reminder of how rich a life I live, of how blessed I am.  It gives me perspective.

Even with that perspective I complain about the little things sometimes.  Yesterday at 5:30 I wrote this to my family:

“Today…

Steve rear-ended someone, and wrecked up his vehicle
I may as well be pregnant for how gross I feel
A roach is stuck in the display section of the scales
Ants are crawling all over the counter
I was making hamburgers and milkshakes for supper until I opened the package of meat to find out it was sausage.

It’s a good day.  Yup, a good day.  How’s that?  Not sure right now.”

Even as I was writing I knew I was so thankful that Steve wasn’t hurt.  That even though we’d have to share one vehicle until we had the money to fix the vehicle….we would, eventually, be able to fix it.  That I was glad I had sausage and could make supper for my family.  I knew there were lots more of things to be thankful for if I’d think some more.  I think sometimes acknowledging something helps me let go of it.  Not sure if that’s good or bad.  But I did want you to know I’m not Pollyanna, and I’m not perfectly positive.

Keeping it real, and [learning] to praise God in all of it. ;)