These last few weeks have been been very tough on my patience. I many times recently have had to reference the bible verse shown below.
“Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles, and pray at all times.”
(Romans 12:12)
I am not sure why recently things have bothered me and I have had to physically stop what I am doing and pray and practice gratitude.
Maybe my brain has become water logged from the eleven straight days of rain we have had. Or maybe it is the 85 degree weather changing to 46 degree weather overnight. Maybe it is the 4 pounds I gained from eating Halloween candy or decorated sugar cookies. Maybe it is the decline of business I am experiencing.
Whatever the reason I am working hard to get out of this funk and get my gratitude back on. I have so many things to be blessed for that I feel I am overlooking that I really need to give thanks for. I am going to babble on here hoping this make sense to you as I cathartically cleanse myself of the funk.
I first want to recognize gratitude for my health improving. I suffered six years of constant anemia and weakness. I began Grateful Gratitude on March 12th of this year and on April 6th I was sitting in the local emergency room receiving a blood transfusion. As I sat there pale, weak and watching the donor blood go into my arm I began to recognize something. All those years I had such a poor quality of life from my anemia. I was always tired. I had no energy and I missed events because of feeling like a rag doll. I was now receiving blood to boost my red blood cell count and try to make me feel better.
I recognized that someone I didn’t know had taken the time to donate their AB+ blood so I could feel better. Someone I had no idea who they were and selfishly gave to someone they didn’t know. I was grateful because I don’t have that common of blood type yet there was blood that day for me! God provided for me.
This made me recognize that Jesus shed His blood for me and although I didn’t know Him in the flesh, I knew Him in my heart and soul and He also saved me! Although no one compares to Jesus I did think the situation was very similar on a very small scale but still lifesaving. His blood was spilled to infuse me.
My doctor also provided life saving treatment for me That day with a daily prescription that would continue to build my red blood cells after the transfusion. Another example of God’s people caring for each other and saving one another. I have thanked my doctor multiple times for her knowledge, care and concern for me and her response is simple. “That’s why I do this job. To help others have a better life.” She is serving God everyday and His people wanting nothing in return.
I feel the same way about the person that donated the blood I received. That person had to take about two hours out of their day to give my pint of blood and to recover from donating. Many of us feel to “busy” to take this type of time to donate blood. Another person on this earth serving God and serving others unselfishly.
As I grow closer to God each day I give thanks to Him for sending His only Son to walk with the people here on earth and die for us, shedding His blood for the sins that had been committed and would be yet to be committed in the years to come after He was gone from this earth.
I just can’t help to see the similarity of someone giving blood to save a life as Jesus did for all of us. I am so grateful because my days are now filled with energy and health.
Shortly after I had my transfusion I heard this story.
Luke 8:43-48
43 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians,[a] she could not be healed by anyone. 44 She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased.45 And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter[b] said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.” 47 And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. 48 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”
This was my story. I too had this disorder and suffered yet when I founded Grateful Gratitude to share God’s love through practicing gratitude I was also healed. I recognized God speaking to me. He told me my faith in Him had healed me. Now this is no coincidence the timing of my emergency room visit and my healing. This was God’s timing and I recognized the appreciation I had for God’s love and timing and my health.
If you are reading this and are suffering from a health disorder please turn to God and ask for His healing touch. Have the faith and trust He wants us to have in Him. I know when I turn to God and say, “Heavenly Father I know you have my life plans and I trust in Your plan.” I immediately feel at peace and comforted no matter what the situation is. He calms me when I will be silent.
I pray every day for all that follow Grateful Gratitude whether it be through this blog post, our podcasts or on Facebook or Instagram. I pray for you to not feel suffering or pain and if you do I pray specifically for God to touch you and heal you. Please trust in God. He only wants the best for you. Let go and let God handle everything for you.
All my love, peace and gratitude for you-LoLo
1 Peter 4:8: “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
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