EVERGREEN HABITS: Thanking God for the Fleas
Happy New Year! 2021 is off to a very “2020” start.
Our Christmas was an adventure for sure! Did anyone else grow up with that secret code word of “adventure”? For example, if something genuinely sucked but our mom wanted us to have a good attitude about it she would say it was going to be an “adventure”. Anyway--- without dragging the whole story out… our family cancelled Christmas twice! We had two covid positives, one hospitalization and a partridge in a pear tree. Thankfully, everyone is out of the hospital/ quarantine and recovering well! We are so fortunate!
Over the month of December I read The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom. If you need a convicting, hopeful, and perspective-giving read, then this one's for you. Without telling the entire story, Corrie and her sister, Betsy, who is failing health end up at the same concentration camp. Even in the midst of their suffering, Betsy reminds Corrie to “give thanks in all circumstances” and they proceed to pray for everything around them including the fleas in the barracks. Later in the book Betsy and Corrie find out that they have so much unsupervised time in their rec room because none of the Natzi guards want to enter due to the overwhelming number of fleas. All in all, God uses the fleas to protect his work and protect Corrie and Betsy’s ministry.
God can use all things for his glory. Why is it so hard for me to remember that? This year I don’t want to miss out on thanking God for the fleas of everyday life. This year, I want my heart posture to be one of gratitude--- in all circumstances. I don’t want to forget that the annoying, itchy, inconveniences of life can be gifts of grace and sovereign provisions.
My dad was the first one in our family to test positive for COVID 19. We found out the Sunday before Christmas (i.e. our first Christmas cancellation). A couple weeks later, when my youngest sister started experiencing terrible stomach pain/ nausea, my dad was able to take her to the ER. At the ER she tested positive for COVID and thankfully my dad was able to stay with her for most of the day until she was admitted because he already had COVID….. A life inconvenience turned into a small blessing.
Wherever or whatever your circumstances this new year, our God is there. He sees. He knows. He provides. Would you join me this year in thanking him for the fleas in your life?
Stay tuned this week for more EVERGREEN tips to help you foster an attitude of gratitude this year!
Always EVERGREEN,
Lillian
