Are We Grumbling or Grateful?

After our early winter snow storm, the sun came out. Normally this would be a good thing. However, for me, the snow and the following sun were both bad timing. Having my garage floor refinished, everything had to be moved to a storage container which was situated in the driveway.  At the time the exact location for setting it up was chosen, it was still rather warm outside with no threat of what occurred this day. The warm sunshine melting the snow on the roof had dripped onto the container doors and concrete driveway apron, both of which were shaded from the sun, and therefore frozen into a lovely smooth thick glaze.

The sleds for enjoying the new snowfall were in the storage container. As I pulled with all my strength to crack the ice and release the latch to open the door, I forgot that I was standing on the same substance I was dealing with on the doors. Suddenly the latch gave way and at the same time so did my feet. Up went the feet and down went the cheeks and as I immediately realized they didn’t contain the amount of padding they used to, the upper set of cheeks went down too as I was now on the verge of tears. The pain was atrocious and my first thought was of my friend who was right then in the hospital with a broken hip from falling on the ice. I sat for a few minutes until the pain subsided enough to move. Of course Jessie, Jodi, Mila (dog) and the three boys had just left on a walk. And I was hidden from the neighbors by the container. (Thankfully!) So there was nobody to share my misery with. I did eventually get up and was thankful that nothing was broken. And I painfully went on with the day.

I should have considered there might be a lesson here. If I had, I might not have had to endure another painful black and blue hip.

At work we use a lot of plastic bands for securing mail. In training we had been warned of their danger and that we should pick up any that end up on the floor. A few weeks ago I was pulling a container when one of these straps fell from it. I only became aware of its presence as both my feet became victim of it. Have you ever been tackled? It was just like being tackled by the ankles except that I wasn’t on a nice soft football field wearing all my protective gear. I was on a bare cement floor. I went down so fast and so hard I didn’t have time to even see one second of my life flash before me. After realizing I was still alive, I rolled over on my back to assess the damage and noticed that right above me was a very wide, very solid concrete and steel pillar that I just barely missed hitting with my head.

Ok, lesson learned. I’m not only grateful that nothing is broken. I’m now also grateful that I’m alive. I bumped into a brand new grateful outlook on life. Instead of feeling bad that while everybody else is out partying I have to stay home and bake a birthday cake and get ready for a party that will happen while I’m at work, I’m grateful that I’m able to do what I’m doing. I don’t absolutely love going to work but I’m grateful that I have a job and am able to work. I see a lot more things to be grateful for. Everything that could be grumped about also has another side of it to be grateful for, etc.

Actually, I should have paid attention years ago to this lesson. It’s a dangerous thing to have to learn this way at my age.

Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thes 5:18)

Author Shirley O