I am thankful for shower chairs. Now, mind you, I didn’t actually know that such a thing existed until I suddenly needed one post-surgery.  And let me tell you – it’s a game changer!  Allows me to safely take a shower which is good for body and spirit.

That gratitude for an unlikely blessing made me wonder – what else are we grateful for?  How does God surprise us by providing gifts that we were not even aware we needed?  What blessings might I be overlooking?

I think of the people in southern California who are discovering the blessings of safe shelter, warm meals, and charging stations following devastating rainfall.  They are not thankful for the storms but are grateful for the compassion.

I wonder about the people in Ukraine who experience the ministries of a group like World Kitchen which sets up shop in the midst of war to provide nourishing meals and opportunities for fellowship. No one is thankful for war but experiencing kindness in the midst of overwhelming loss must feel miraculous.

Sometimes we may not like our circumstances or we may find ourselves confronting situations that we never desired. That does not mean that blessings are absent. It could mean that even in those times and those places, we might discover a reason to give thanks.

I have a friend whose daughter was riding her bike in city traffic and was hit by a car.  The driver raced away and was never found.  It was a terrifying and also heartbreaking situation – the careless disregard for this beloved child was enough to cast doubt on people in general. But it happened that another person witnessed the accident. That person did stop, called 911, stayed with her until help arrived, let her use his phone to call her parents, and then volunteered to keep her damaged bike until she could claim it again.  And there it was – in the midst of chaos, hurt, and loss, a reason to give thanks.

Before we write off an overwhelming situation as a lost cause, can we wonder – where is God in this?  Because surely the God who promises to never leave us or forsake us is right there with us. Sometimes hidden, sometimes surprising.  But with us.  Always.

May we be aware of God’s presence today.

May we share God’s love with others today.

Yours in Christ,