For example, when we are young, healthy and active, we don’t
even notice the amazing anatomy that God created us to have….bones, muscles and
joints that were created to move perfectly together to enable us to do
everything from the smallest of things, such as picking a flower, to the grand
things, like mountain climbing. When middle age sets in, however, or if you
suddenly become unhealthy or develop a health condition (an autoimmune disease,
for example), then every muscle, joint and/or bone is suddenly screaming out
for attention and you can no longer ignore what has been ignored your entire life.
When I developed an autoimmune disease three years ago, I
never imagined I had so many muscles, bones and joints in my body! I remembered
learning the names of each one of them when I took anatomy back in college, but
only when they started giving me trouble by causing a lot of pain did I really
notice every single one of them! Did I just grow them overnight? Of course not!
I just noticed them for the first time because they started giving me trouble.
Because they all worked perfectly fine for 40 years of my life, I took all of
those things for granted before now.
I now realize what an amazing blessing our incredible
anatomy is and how God perfectly fashioned our bodies to work together in
harmony to do just the simplest of tasks. I once read that it takes more
muscles to frown than to smile. I thought that strange, because I never even
realized it took more than two muscles to do either before! We just don’t think
about things like that until we are forced to.
Looking back, I wished I had thanked God much more often for
being in perfect health for many years with no pain issues whatsoever! I woke
up each and every day, enjoying the whole day with no pain, unless I had a
headache or got hurt. When you start waking up each and every day in pain, then
it takes only a very short while to realize how blessed you were before pain
became a part of every day. It becomes hard to plan things because you don’t
know how you will feel from day to day. If you are in good health and go about
your day pain-free every day, please thank God for that and remember those in prayer
who do have pain issues!
Even though I sometimes do not notice all God has done for
me, how many times have I been frustrated with my children for not noticing all
I do for them? The dishes stay washed, the laundry done, floors clean,
groceries bought and breakfast, lunch and dinner made. The electricity stays on
(because I pay the bill), the car remains in the garage (because I keep up on
the maintenance and paid it off) and the IRS isn’t banging on my door (because
I pay my taxes). Ah, to be a child again.
For example, my oldest son had complained for months that
his back was hurting him every day. We had x-rays done on him and found out he
had scoliosis and his feet are very flat, which certainly did not help. He was
given exercises to do and inserts for his shoes, but he still complained of
pain. So, being the good mom I am, I thought I would invest in one of those
expensive memory foam mattresses for him. Ever since then, I never heard
another word. It kind of felt like he quickly took that mattress for granted. I
know he appreciated it, but a simple thank you or words of gratitude for no
more backaches every day would have been a nice gesture on his part. To a small
degree, I think I could begin to understand how Jesus must have felt when only
one out of the ten lepers came back and thanked him for healing their leprosy!
However, I have at times behaved the same way with God, who
is my Father. One example is by taking my health for granted all those years,
rarely thanking him for the fact I could walk, talk, see, hear, smell, do what
I wanted to with no pain and enjoy the life he has given me because everything
worked together in my body without even a thought. (By the way, thank you Lord
for all those years of near perfect health!) I used to feel just like the
Energizer bunny. Kept going and going and going, all day long.
I must say, however, that ever since becoming a single mom
over ten years ago, my thankfulness meter has gone up exponentially! I thank
God DAILY for even the little things in my life! Every difficult mountain I
climb over, every valley I fight my way through, every dinner I sit down to, every
new friend I make, every bill that gets paid off and every new need that is
taken care of makes this heart very, very grateful to God, for without His
help, strength, provision, guidance, peace and protection (and so much more) I
would not have made it this far!
I know what it is like to have to start over with nothing
(not even family around) and this makes me even more appreciative to God for
all I have now and all I have overcome too. I will never again take things for
granted, even the little things. I have found since I stopped taking the little
things for granted, I am much happier too. I hope and pray that you too, learn
the joy that comes when you find enjoyment and thankfulness in everything, even
the little things. J
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