IN OTHER WORDS :GRATITUDE

I went out today with the pastor's wife who happens to be a very good friend of mine. We had a wonderful time choosing curtains for my house. We shopped till we felt we're already hungry and needed a break. we decided to eat at this very nice cozy Vietnamese Restaurant and got our favorite menu.Then my friend asked me to lead a prayer for our food and during that short and simple prayer I made it struck me How blessed I am now.

To give you a background, I came from a broken family my father left my mom when I was barely one. According to my Mom she had to go to some of our relatives to asked for money for my milk, some will give her, others had declined her. But hey! I grew up as a child to be very chubby (fat) girl. Imagine that! BLESSED I can say.

Then my Mom had to support the five of us and we all graduated from college. Then i met my husband (whom you know now because He is always mentioned in this blog). And now I have three sweet kids.

What more can I asked for? I never thanked God enough for always being there for me.He is always there in good and bad times. Even before I wasn't a christian yet and I look back at my most troublesome, problematic & struggling times, He was there for me I managed to passed through those hard times. He has never abandoned me and I'm here right now, to express my deepest gratitude to my Creator. Thank you dear Father!!

Like The poem "Footprints in the sand" this spoke clearly to me on how He protected me, guided me and loved me.

One night a man had a dream. He dreamedhe was walking along the beach with the LORD.
Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonging to him, and the other to the LORD.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him,he looked back at the footprints in the sand.
He noticed that many times along the path ofhis life there was only one set of footprints.
He also noticed that it happened at the verylowest and saddest times in his life.
This really bothered him and he questioned the LORD about it:
"LORD, you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way.But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life,there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me."
The LORD replied:
"My son, my precious child,I love you and I would never leave you.During your times of trial and suffering,when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."

written by Mary Stevenson