Blessings...even in trials

Today I am thankful for many blessings in my life...but one of the biggest blessings I have ever been given is my Gram!  Thank you Lord for allowing me to have the privilege to know such a remarkable woman and thank you for allowing me the years I have had with her... to make some lifelong memories that are precious!

Today marks the 4 years since I received a phone call telling me that she was in the hospital and had suffered a heart attack.  It was a shock and I couldn't quite wrap my head around the information I was hearing on the other end of the phone.  I will never forget that day and the sound of Pap's voice as he was trying to tell me what had happened.  I will be honest...I have never felt such an empty feeling as I did that morning.  I remember telling Pap that we would be there ASAP and I remember what he said just like it happened yesterday.  From the other side of the phone I heard..."I don't want to lose her Heather."  When I heard him say that...I remember the tears welling up and telling him that he wasn't going to lose her and everything will be fine.  I had to stay strong...but I am not sure that I convinced him with the quiver in my voice.

I remember immediately calling Shane and telling him he needed to come home.  Shane had just left for work and I was home with all three children when the call came.  He had not made it to the office yet when he received my call on his cell phone.  He turned around and headed back home.  We were on the road within an hour or two and headed toward Indiana.  Shane would probably say it was a record packing event for me and he had never seen me pull it all together so quickly.  I am sure that I was providing him with funny stories to tell later on about how frantic I was trying to pack our family of 5 ... including one precious baby boy!

Today I am choosing to focusing on being thankful for even the trials that we face here on this earth!  We ALL have to deal with trials!   We were never promised that we wouldn't face difficult times!  Each of us have our own weaknesses and deal with trials in different ways than another person might deal with them.   Trials on this earth sometimes are more than we feel we can bear...and without strength from God...I might agree with that statement.  However, I know that HE is watching over HIS children and HE is in control!   Do I always feel this way?  NO!!!!  I lose focus at times and I question things sometimes...do you?  However, it isn't long at all until God quickly reminds me that HE is in control and HE will not leave me in my time of need.

I am thankful for the last 4 years even with the difficulties that my family has faced.  I am thankful to God that he has allowed me to have more time with Gram and Pap....and because of that I am working to make sure that my 3 children make memories with them that are unforgettable and precious!