in all circumstances

I wanted to name this post "Murphy's Law", but the Lord quickly spoke to my heart and reminded me of his words to "give thanks in all circumstances." Some of the crazy things that have happened this week are down right laughable, others not.

The freezer. We came home tonight to unload groceries only to find our deep freezer was completely thawed....apparently our breaker was malfunctioning or it was hit by lightening. As I was pitching our meat and emptying freezer boxes full of food into the dumpster, I was wondering the good. "Give thanks," he said, "and be grateful." So I began.

• I dumped the applesauce: my sister-in-law had so graciously made it for us last summer when I was pregnant.
• I dumped the fish: Jeremy and my brother had caught some when we were in North Carolina last.
• I dumped the whipped topping: our friend Foster had given us some great varieties from his work. I kept the tiny milk jugs for my daughter to use with her play kitchen, thanks again to Foster.
• I dumped my freezer jam: remembering some family meals with Jeremy's family where they always served homemade jam.
• I dumped the meat: the steaks, the roasts, the hamburger, and wishing I had shared more of it with my family and friends. This freezer should have been empty for other reasons.

Somewhere floating in the back of my mind were the words a friend spoke to me recently that she now cans most everything because she once lost a freezer full of food. (I don't remember who said that, but your words live on....take credit for them, please, whomever you are). There was good: I remembered so many things while emptying the freezer, and I give thanks for those memories, the kindness showed to us. We have been so blessed.

The heart. Thursday my Dad had a heart attack and was taken to the emergency room, then careflighted to a local heart hospital where they were able to put a stint in. Watching my Dad get packed into an ambulance (the pain very high for him even though he is so strong) and then seeing him with tubes everywhere was a jolt. He did maintain his sense of humor the whole time, joking with the EMT that he was allergic to hospitals and doctors. His poor nurses kept telling him he wasn't allowed to leave yet. While I was praying for my Dad, the Lord led me to read Psalm 112. Here is an excerpt: "Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands...They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes."  Tonight, I give thanks. My dad is home from the hospital! Thank you to so many for your faithful prayers.

Elauna's note to Papa