Thankful Thursday - Blessings in the Midst of the Fire

 This week has definitely not gone the way I envisioned. I had plans to go out and write every day. Carl was planning to work from home on Monday and Wednesday and go in on Tuesday. Thursday and Friday are holidays so he was off anyway. 

It was going to be a relaxing week getting ready for things to get back to normal next week. God had different plans though.

Esther tested positive for COVID on Monday most likely from being exposed working at Chick Fil A from a customer or a co worker who came to work having symptoms. 

At first I was angry. I could not understand why anyone would come to work with COVID symptoms and expose all their co workers and all the customers that drive through every day. I cried tears after having to call my mother and father telling them that with all the precautions we had taken that they had been exposed. I cried hearing my daughter call all her friends and tell them that she had exposed them. I was frustrated and upset and could not understand anyone willingly exposing others to this virus.

Then I sat down for devotions yesterday. God directed me to pray for Esther's co worker. I did not want to. I hesitated but God kept putting this person on my heart. So I did and as I began to pray for them God gave me a whole new perspective.

You see, Carl has a job where he does not earn an hourly wage. He gets paid whether he works from home or goes into his physical building or is under quarantine. His paycheck comes every two weeks and it is the same. Our kids even know that if they can't work while under quarantine that Carl and I will help them out. Our children may miss a paycheck but will still have a place to live and food to eat. God placed on my heart that this co worker does not have that luxury. If that person is under quarantine then they lose their paycheck. No money comes in. It brought sadness to my heart that I had judged this person and forgot how blessed I truly am. 

I started thinking about all the other people in this country that are in the same predicament as Esther's co worker. No work means no money. No money means things like no food, no rent, no insurance, no car payment. I thought about all the people who have made the hard decision in order to provide for themselves and their families. I just grieved in my heart as I began to think how selfish I have been. In my nice warm house with plenty of food, being able to pay our bills because Carl's paycheck has never stopped. 

That is the blessing that I am counting today. I sometimes forget that we are more fortunate than most of the world and most of the country. 

I am also thankful for a change of heart in myself. A new perspective of less fortunate people around me. I think a lot of us have been lamenting about the change of plans in our own lives and have forgotten how truly blessed we really are. 

So today, on this last day of 2020, I am dwelling on all the goodness that came out of 2020. I am so thankful for all that God has done this year.

My prayer today is for all the people who are suffering today because this virus has completely disrupted their entire world and they are in want this New Year's Eve. May their struggles bring them closer to the Lord maybe for the first time ever. May God prick the hearts of his people to have compassion for all those around us and help provide for the physical and spiritual needs of those less fortunate.