Thankful For

Today as I look back over all the things I wish were different I can't help but feel grateful for what I have and what I don't.

I am thankful that we are safe. We live in tornado country for the moment, and after seeing the devastating pictures of Joplin, MO I am so glad we haven't been hit. This morning did give me a good scare though. We are under a tornado watch and this morning at 4:45 am the thunder, lightning, and hail started. It was still dark so I wasn't sure how we would know a tornado was coming. Could we even hear the sirens above the noise of the storm? I've always been told that before a tornado strikes it goes quiet and then sounds like a freight train is coming through. We had some moments of quiet that had me anxious, but we made it through the morning and we are safe.

I am thankful that we are healthy. I have a friend that I used to work with who is battling breast cancer. She has 6 kids, the youngest is the same age as my eldest (6). She has lost all of her hair, and is going through chemo yet again. The dentist we see has been diagnosed with a brain tumor (GBM). He has had it removed, but the prognosis isn't good. Our family has been blessed with excellent health. The only time we see the doctor is when I am pregnant and when the children have their regular scheduled annual exams. We haven't broken any bones, we don't have unexplained fevers, we are healthy. 

I am thankful we can have children. We know several couples who are unable to have children without expensive and emotional interventions. For some they have worked, for others the treatments haven't. Fertility is a gift we have taken for granted. Our first three children were conceived without much thought. We decided we wanted to have a baby and on the first try it was successful. Our fourth attempt at conception was a little trickier. I didn't happen the first month, or the second, in fact it took 4 or 5 months - and I was beginning to worry there was something wrong. I only had a glimpse of the pain and frustration that accompanies infertility.  In the end, we are pregnant and expecting a healthy baby in a few weeks.

I am thankful we have a job. In this economy not everyone is fortunate enough to say that. While I won't go as far as to say our job is guaranteed, I'd say there isn't any expectation to the contrary. The world is in need of doctors we are in the position to be able to fulfill that need. We have friends in other fields that have been laid off or hours reduced. We know people who have lost their homes. We know people who have filed bankruptcy. While a resident might not bring in the largest salary, it is one that is dependable and takes care of our needs. 

I am thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. How could any of us make it through life without the sure knowledge that our savior has paid the price for our sins and provides a way for us to make course corrections in our life that will lead us back to Him? It's comforting to know that He knows how to succor us in our afflictions, and that when it appears there is no one here that He will always be there. I am grateful to have that knowledge.  I have a purpose and plan on this earth.

This blog can't be filled with my peeves in it's entirety. I am a thankful and hopeful person. One can't go through life without seeing the suffering of others and be grateful that the shoes they have been given to wear are their own. Regardless of how much I may complain, this is the life I have freely chosen and I wouldn't have it any other way.