A Day to give Thanks....

Also known as Thanksgiving...

This year Thanksgiving is going to be a whole lot more about me being thankful for the people who surround me to take care of me.

Yesterday I stepped wrong off a curb and fell.  I ended up with one very skinned knee, two roughed up and aching heels of my palms, one broken 5th metatarsal in my left foot, and one very bruised ego.  And, it's not just because some total stranger had to help me get back in my car.

I do stuff.  In my life I am very busy and I am, by nature, a do-er.  I have four kids, I teach Junior High English, I volunteer for oodles of things at church (some of which are at mid-project right now), and last night when I stepped off that curb it all came to a grinding halt.

That messes with my ego.

I'm supposed to be the one orchestrating, (I rarely do all of the cooking myself), Thanksgiving dinner. Grinding halt.  I have papers to grade, lessons to plan, grades to enter.  Grinding halt.  I have projects to finish for the Christmas brunch at church.  Grinding halt.  I have decorations to make for Christmas services.  Grinding Halt.

Sometimes God hits you over the head with a 2x4 to get you to slow down.  Sometimes you fall off a curb.  Not that I think God did this to me, but you know....I was in a hurry, grabbing a couple of last minute things from the store...and now, well....grinding halt.

Today I am thankful for the normal things...I live in a free country, I have a great family, I have a God who loves me so much He sent his Son to die for me on the cross.

I am also thankful for some unusual things.  Crutches.  Pain medication.  Ice.

I don't know how this is going to play out but the world won't end without me (that's a bit of a blow to the ego, too...but it's the truth) and life will go on.  My foot will heal and I'll revert to my overly busy self.  In the meantime I'm going to have to suck it up and ask for help...but that's okay, because maybe that is ministering to someone who needs to feel needed.  And, my kids will have to pitch in more and help because I simply can't.  I hope that you find lots of normal things to be thankful for this day to remember to be thankful.  I also hope you find some unusual ones.  Just try to find them in a less painful way than I did!!

Be blessed!