Thanking the Lord

A dear friend of mine went to lunch with me on Friday and told me how God had been at work in her life, after a story she'd heard from another friend about a woman who was shot in the eye by a stranger and heard a voice inside her head as she sat dying , "Right now, you need to thank the Lord." So she did, for everything she could think of as she believed her life was slipping away. If you are a believer, you will probably not be surprised to hear that she lived (but she lost her eye). The doctor said it was a miracle, as though the bullet was suddenly stopped and changed direction, exiting through her neck below her ear instead of continuing on its trajectory going through her brain. My friend said that now whenever she felt the urge to complain about something, aloud or in her head, she instead remembers to thank the Lord. In turn, she is rewarded with peace. It's true: at any moment when something big or very trivial threatens to crush our spirit we can choose to stop and count our blessings, and we all have so many when we decide to focus on the good things.
Later that day, my husband and I ventured out to The Crossings Wellness Spa just outside of town, the only time we have ever left our children overnight with the neighbors! I'd bought a half off coupon a few months back for an overnight stay there that included breakfast, so I'd been looking forward to having a chance to take my husband there. (I went once with a friend 3 years ago and the prices have gone up astronomically since, so I thought this might be the only time I'd go again!) It is lovely, out in the hill country with an amazing infinity edge pool. Of course I prayed beforehand that our kids would be safe and that we would have good weather!
I won't go into all the details of our time there, but some things were delightful and others not so much (kind of like life!) I'd tried not to have unrealistic expectations that it would be the most magical night ever, but still a few things were disappointing. Sitting outside on the deck by the pool that night I was feeling a bit let down that our date wasn't all going to plan. Suddenly I was interrrupted in my moping with the thought, "You need to thank the Lord". So I did. Looking up at the sky I silently prayed: "Thank you, Lord, for this beautiful, cloudless starry night. Thank you for the opportunity to sit quietly in this amazing place. Thank you for my husband. He's not perfect, and neither am I. Thank you for being my everything, the only one and thing in the universe which can and will meet all my needs, always. " And, I promise you this is the truth, that very next moment, as if in response, I saw a shooting star. ("I AM. You're welcome...")

My husband didn't see the shooting star. I don't know if anyone else by the pool that night noticed it either. When I commented on it, he said it would be great to have a telescope out there, but I'm sure we'd have missed it if it hadn't been pointing in that direction. You had to be looking, at the right place, at that right moment. Don't forget to take time to stop, and to look!

"Be still, and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10

Have a blessed Sunday,
Melanie

PS You don't see shooting stars living in the city. It was a BIG deal for me! ;)