Bitter-Sweet Day

Disclaimer: Sorry, I don't like the way the text looks on this post, but it is too late to mess with it. :-)

For those of you that know me, you know that I am NOT an early riser. Paul was up between 5 and 5:30 so he could go hunting. The kids were awake before 6. I'm sure none of that surprises you, but It may surprise you to know how I started my morning. Before I got out of bed I read Psalm 107. I wanted to read some verses about giving thanks. I got out of bed a little after 6 and by 6:50 I was showered, dressed and even had make-up on. I decided instead of laying in bed blaming Paul for waking the kids up, and making myself start out grumpy, I was going to be “rejoice always”.

I was in the kitchen before 7 and started mixing up pancakes. We had pancakes, oatmeal and sausage. After all, this was a special day....Levi was turning 3 today!

While I was getting breakfast ready I found out that my Grandma was not doing well and all the kids had been called. We have known this was coming, but it was still hard to get the news. Then all day I kept waiting for “the call”.

We went ahead and started school and were actually having a good morning. The kids were working good (maybe one a little slower than I would have liked, but that's for another time). We were getting a lot done.

Paul and his dad came in from hunting around 10 because it was raining and windy. They figured the deer weren't moving anyway. His dad decided the weather wasn't going to get any better and they wouldn't be going back out so he left. He was right...about a half hour later it turned into snow and it accumulated pretty quick and stayed windy. We worked on school until lunch. After lunch we finished up some school with Michael and he even chose to do more...Science.

Paul told me he would make supper and I could relax until supper time. About that time my mom sent me a text saying they had just left the nursing home and that Grandma was still hanging on, but her breathing was shallow and pulse was slow. A little bit later we got “the call”. From the timing I'm guessing she died just after my parents left.

So, it has been a bitter-sweet day. It was sweet knowing my baby was turning 3 today, but hard to get the news that my Grandma had left this Earth. Some family members have posted some pictures on Facebook this evening of Grandma. Some were of her and Grandpa from when they were younger. It is hard knowing I will never see her again here, but it is wonderful knowing she is seeing Jesus face to face tonight and is with Grandpa again. Grandma Hirtzel was the last of my grandparents. I am so thankful I had a long time with all of my grandparents. And I am thankful that they all knew Jesus as their personal Savior and I know I will see them once again.

As one uncle on Facebook posted “I thank God for every remembrance of you” Phil. 1:3

Give Thanks

I saw someone post on Facebook that today was November 1^st so it starts the “Thankful Month”. During the month of November a lot of people try to share something they are thankful for every day. I have been reading things lately that have encouraged me to be conscious of things that God has given me and give thanks for them. According to Biblegateway.com there are 52 places where the phrase “give thanks” is used (NKJV). The first reference listed is I Thessalonians 5:18.....IN EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS...

It doesn't say to give thanks when we want to or only when things are going good for us. It says to give thanks IN EVERYTHING. In every situation we should give thanks. Just as when we say wedding vows we say “in good times and bad, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer...” we should give thanks in good times and bad, whether we're sick or healthy, and whether we're rich or poor.

The verse doesn't stop there either. It doesn't just tell us what we are supposed to do. It also tells us why we are to do it...FOR THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS FOR YOU. We are not to give thanks just because it's something someone says we should do or because Thanksgiving is coming up...we are to give thanks because it is a command. We are commanded to give thanks in everything we are doing and in any situation we are in.

Now, I know this is easier said than done. You are talking to the pro of only giving thanks when it is convenient or when things are going good. Why should I give thanks when the kids are disobeying, being crabby or are sick? Why should I give thanks when my husband isn't helping me in the way I think he should or isn't home when I think he should be? Why should I give thanks when I don't feel like it, when I'm having a bad day, or I don't feel good? Why? Because God said I need to!

Some of you may be sick right now or have a loved one going through a sickness and you are wondering when it is going to get better. Some of you may be in the “poorer” state right now and you may be wondering where the money is going to come from to pay the bills this month. Some you may be just be having some bad days and you're wondering how to make them better. GIVE THANKS! Give thanks to God for the things you have, for the time you have been on this earth, for the housing and clothes and food you have. No matter how hard things seem I think we can all find at least one thing to be thankful for each day. And not just during November, the “Thankful Month”, but all year long.