It was around the time my husband, Jeff, was setting off for Florida this past June. My Tata (Grandpa) and Mom had died within the last six months and now my father--in-law was in the hospital and Jeff was going to drive out to be with him.
Our good friend, Beth, told us before his trip, "Look for the blessings. I know this is hard, but look for the blessings."
Isn't it hard to see past the things that hurt, past the things that seem unfair or out of our control? By intentionally looking for the good, the blessings, it may help with the overwhelm and show us things during a time that may otherwise seem to break us completely.
What blessings did my Jeff and I see?
Great friends taking us into their homes, sometimes weeks at a time
Friends and family who made us food to eat--and packed some to go
Jeff's vanpool putting together money to help us with gas
Lots of individual conversations with strangers who helped us through difficult days
Connecting with family we didn't know we had
And there is so much more that we will always remember and be grateful for.
I know it's difficult to think that there is always something good in the bad. It's easy to miss the good when we are completely focused on what's happening around us. But give it a try.
What blessings - or good - are in the situation you're in? Take some time, give it a try and think about it. I know you'll come up with a few!