2011 so far....stressed or blessed?

     My friend and I talked at the end of last year how hopefully 2011 would be a better year for both our families.  Seems like we had so much illness, job losses and other losses and we just wanted this to be a better year.

      Well, this is January 27th and it has been a "year" so far and today I was thinking am I stressed or blessed so far this year?  I have to admit it is both....hubby still doesn't have a job and unemployment is running out, we have almost all had the stomach bug, we had a HUGE financial setback, my son has (is) facing serious illness and my 9 month old granddaughter got 2nd and 3rd degree burns over much of her body and had to be airlifted to Children's hospital 2 hours away.

      I know wow, that is the stress but if you have made it this far, now I am going to explain the blessed.....

     My hubby does not have a job but yet all our bills have been paid. I have even gotten some of my wants.  My 9 month old granddaughter has gone from this first picture to the 2nd in less than a month and the doctors can't explain it but I can-God answered the MANY prayers that went up for her. There were people in almost every state and several other countries praying for her.  Now is she healed?  No, but she is way ahead of where she should be medically.  As for our huge financial setback, my son and daughter-in-law and God are working that one out too.  It is not what I would like but it is much better than it could have been.  As for my son, he is better in some ways than we thought as we found out from the first tests and  he will undergo more tests to know for sure what is going on but we are placing him in God's hands and trusting and believing he will be okay.  Through it all I have learned I am too blessed to be stressed.

 

     I know this too, no matter what we may face, God is there..He may not choose to calm the storm we are facing but He will calm and comfort us.  After we make it through the storm we can also take what we have learned and been through and use it to help another along their way too.  

      So, as I look at it now, 2011, is not too bad so far.  I have God, family & friends who are mighty prayer warriors and I think that is good enough for me.  How is your year so far?

God bless,

Pat