Meditation

Read Psalm 61:1-8

You, O Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head.—Psalm 3:3 (NRSV)

My wife and I were both suffering from extended illnesses that had exhausted us physically and financially, with seemingly no end in sight. Struggling to constantly make ends meet, we grew angry and frustrated. But we still read daily the biblical stories of faith, particularly the story of David. He too had suffered much in life, but he never gave up hope in God. We vowed that we wouldn’t either.

We made a “Blessings List” and put it on our refrigerator. On it we wrote down every good thing we had in our lives no matter how small it might seem. And as we made the list, we began to realize that God had indeed blessed us. We had much to be grateful for, if only we looked at what we had instead of focusing on what we did not have.

We still suffer hardships in our lives; no doubt we always will. But my wife and I keep our blessings list on the refrigerator and update it every day. We have found that in a world with a lot of sickness, gratitude is good medicine.

Prayer: Our heavenly Father, may we never forget that when so much in life goes wrong, you are always here to redeem our lives and make us truly whole. Amen.

Thought for the day: A grateful attitude helps me remember God’s blessings.

—Mark A. Carter, Oregon