It
has been a while since I have sat down with my trusty computer to share my
heart. It seems like every day starts early and is filled with much to do. Being
this close to the holiday season we are merely two weeks away from nonstop
activity. I keep stopping myself from panic and reminding myself that
everything that is important will be done. I am just one person with 24 hours
in my day.
In the midst of busyness I am worrying about my children and all the
things that affect them each day. One
(adult) child just started a new job and I hope and pray every day that she is
well and happy and successful. My middle daughter is in her transition phase of
college and has started applying for internships. I have hopes that she will
find a place that will inspire her and propel her into a lifelong work
adventure. My youngest daughter just started her first year of college and she
has been burdened with a mystery illness since we dropped her at school. There
have been many rounds of doctor visits and blood tests and now we are going to
try a specialist. Throughout this difficult time she has continued with school.
I am amazed everyday at how hard she
works to maintain her high standards of study while struggling with an endless
list of physical challenges. The answers do not seem to come fast enough when
you need them the most.
On
a recent trip to take my youngest daughter to another appointment I stayed with my sister
who lives about a half hour from my girl’s school. It was a good time to catch
up with her and also offered me some support as I worry and wonder endlessly
about what could possibly be wrong. Staying with my sister always leads to long
talks about life and family and this visit was no different. We talked about
how recent family struggles had brought us closer together and how fortunate we
were to have each other to lean on. It came to me as we talked that we had
found the blessing in the curse. While we worked side by side to make our way
through a tough time in our life, dealing with the deaths of our parents and
handling their estate issues we had become good friends. We built a trust that
still stands strong and a friendship the likes of which we had never had
before.
I believe
that finding that blessing was like adding a strong foundation and building
upon it. I look deep into every struggle mining for a blessing. While I
fuss and worry about cleaning and preparing for a house full of family at
Thanksgiving I can see how blessed I am to have a family to share thanks with.
During this difficult time of wonder and worry over my daughters health I am
able to talk with her when she needs me and go with her to the appointments she
has to support her. I am blessed that I have the freedom to be there for her. By looking past the perceived curse I am
finding the hidden jewels of blessing.
While
we cannot stop life from throwing us a curve ball here and there, we can be
thankful for seeing the blessing as the ball whisks by. Many times it takes
time to see the blessing. You may even be days, weeks, months or even years on
the other side of the curse, but one day it hits you that there was a moment
when the blessing peeked out and turned your heart.
