Gratitude

Ya know, we ALL have a lot to be thankful for. But I feel like this week, I have EXTRA blessings to be thankful for. First, for the people who have stepped up to help my family. What a blessing. The relief in knowing that some of our needs are going to be met right away is HUGE. Frankly, if it were just Doug and I, I would find a way to manage. Doug would be a bit more stressed out with cleaning and stuff, but since we have Jacob, I take a lot on myself.

I am homeschooling Jacob. To know that at times I will have people to come and clean my house, to know that if Doug is really late I can throw a decent, home-cooked meal in the freezer, to know that I can concentrate on my CHILD, being a MOM....I really can't describe what that means to me. The hardest thing about my illness is having to look into the big blue eyes of my precious baby boy and say, "Mommy's not feeling good today honey. I can't."

If I don't have to focus so much on worrying about how everything will be getting done, or waiting for Doug to get home so Jacob can get a little bit of attention...To just be able to focus on Jacob....it's bringing tears to my eyes.

Those that are helping us are doing FAR more than cleaning a bathroom or bringing a meal. They are allowing a family to spend time together. They are helping a husband and wife have some peace, and be able to reconnect, to talk without total exhaustion taking over.

A precious lady we don't know sent us $50.00 in the mail with a Valentine's Day card. What I really love too, is what this is doing for my husband. He is being encouraged!! Doug is by nature a skeptic. And a pessimist. (He would say realist... : ) Seeing these things happening, seeing people volunteer to help us, seeing an old grandma send money to 2 "kids" she doesn't know....it is renewing HIS heart as well. And for me to see THAT, now that's cool.

So again, from the bottom of my heart: thank you.

Wherever you are, won't you see if there's someone YOU can encourage today? Maybe it's a neighbor you haven't seen in a while. Maybe it's a cousin or aunt you haven't talked to in forever. Maybe it's the homeless guy on the corner you see every single day. What can YOU do? Serve at a soup kitchen for a meal? Help out at a homeless shelter? Help out at the Humane Society or Animal Rescue? What about someone in your church? Could they use a card just to say, Hey, I'm thinking about you?

I guess my point is that you don't have to go out and save the world. It's like the little boy walking along the beach that is filled with starfish. He's walking with his grandpa, stopping every foot or so to pick up one starfish and throw it back into the sea. His grandpa said, "What are you doing, son? You can't save 'em all." And the little boy looked at the one in his hand as he threw it back in and said, "No, but I can save this one."

How about you? Can you save one?