In the Good and the Bad

"At all times and for everything

giving thanks

in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ

to God the Father" Ephesians 5:20

I am finding it easy to thank God for what I consider to be good things in my life and I know that's what He wants... That we acknowledge that we know all blessings come from Him and that we thank Him for it. But how about the times that we consider things to be not so good? The bad times. There have been a few tough things in our lives right now and I want to learn how to thank him in everything... to learn to see the good in everything and when there is just no good that I can see, to thank Him anyway, because He is in control no matter what.

So here are a few of "the bad" things that I am thankful for:

The Bad: This mess on our driveway of construction materials ... The Good: Shows that I have a hardworking husband who cares so much about our financial future that he took on this huge project of bringing in a house and renovating it from top to bottom in the hopes of making a good profit on it. The Bad: Said house is still not sold!... The Good: This has taught us some major lessons in trusting God for his perfect timing and for His provision in our lives while the finances are tight.

The Bad: Longing for another child and not having that longing fullfilled... The Good: Again, learning to trust in Him for His perfect timing. And thanking Him for the three wonderful boy blessings that He has already so lavishly bestowed upon us.

And on a lighter note: )

The Bad: Piles of Dirty Laundry needing to be washed: The Good: That I have 3 messy, happy boys and a large yard where they can run and play and get dirty.

The Bad: A stack of worn towels... The Good: We have clean water to bathe in daily, a nice bathroom and shower and at least we have towels! Also, a washing machine and dryer that are probably the culprits of this but I'm sure thankful I have them!

The Bad: Holes discovered in the knees of boy pants while folding laundry... The Good: That said boys have the energy and health to be so rambunctious.

The Bad: The sometimes grating sound of stumbling fingers over piano keys... The Good: That He has given us music and the sense of hearing to enjoy it. That the boys are so eager to learn new songs. That we have this beautiful old piano to practice on.

The Bad: Sticky fingerprints that show up so easily on my red cabinet doors... The Good: That there are little fingers in this home that put them there. That we actually have cabinets to put our food in. That we actually have food that causes the sticky fingerprints and that I got the red kitchen I've always wanted.

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