Blessed

As I look back to the beginning of 2015, I seem to recall that I felt very poor. We were either recovering from huge repair bills or racking up new ones! New well, new septic, new stovetop, new water softener, new drainage ditch, furnace threatening to quit on a regular basis; dryer chewing our clothes to bits, roof leaking, windows leaking… We were wondering what would break next and how in the world we would pay for it! We were seriously thinking we couldn’t afford to stay in our home and needed to earnestly consider selling.

Now, my husband has always been a great handyman. There is not much that baffles him when it comes to fixing things so I have seldom had to pay someone else to make repairs around the house, but these problems were bigger than he could tackle…especially since he was always tired. Midway through the year, we found out why. A heart cath revealed that he had 100% blockage in two of the 3 major arteries and an 80% and a 90% in others. This discovery led to a 6 bypass operation, from which he recovered marvelously… until the week he went back to work when he spiked a fever and ended up in the hospital with an acute infection in his leg where veins had been harvested for the bypass surgery. This required 3 additional surgeries and 10 more days in the hospital.

Considering how the year started and my frame of mind facing all those bills for home repairs, you would likely surmise that I was seriously depressed over the medical bills that were piling up. Strangely, through those days in the hospital and throughout the recovery process, the feelings of gloom and doom I had felt during the winter months were replaced with praise. God had spared Dana’s life. He had given me the greatest gift I could imagine, considering the likelihood of losing my husband to a massive heart attack if they hadn’t performed the surgeries. Through the medical journey to likely over $1 million in services (before insurance), I have been feeling blessed. The only way I can explain that to you is that I found out that I am surrounded by wonderful people who care deeply about others and want to stand in the gap, lift others up in prayer and lend a helping hand. In the last couple of months, as friends and family came to our aid, we received cards, prayers, money, meals and assistance beyond what we felt worthy to accept.

A truly amazing experience was when Mill Creek Church sent over 30 strong bodies to put a roof on our house. Every time I went outside to check the progress, my eyes filled with tears watching these wonderful people give time and energy to do a really tough job on a cold and windy October weekend. I love to be on the giving end, so this was a totally humbling experience for me. I deserved none of this and all was given to me with loving hearts and smiling faces. It was overwhelming!

I am RICH!  And God is faithful! And His people are amazing! If I have learned anything in 2015 it is the importance of being available for God to use me to bless others and, no matter how painful it is, I will be humble and receive blessings from others when I am in need.

Be careful not to load up your calendar, deplete your bank account, spend all your energy on things that will not bring blessings to those in need. Show them the love of Jesus by living RICH!