Thankful, Grateful & Blessed

So, as I sat in the breakroom today at lunch, I overheard a few women discussing their family troubles. One has a son that is in rehab who just recently got charged with armed robbery. One has a husband with luekemia. One has a daughter that is having horrific boyfriend problems that is interfering with the family. One has a father with throat cancer. Seriously, this is most of what I heard over a matter of 30 minutes...I have learned of the others over time.

Now, I have been through some tough times myself... with an ugly divorce of my parents while in college, followed by losing my mom to cancer four years later. Those were hard, and those experiences have made me who I am today.

However, listening to these women today has humbled me, and as always, made me realize how incredibly blessed I really am. Contrary to my last post... I AM grateful that I have a job, that I have a loving husband, an amazing sister and brother-in-law and four beautiful nieces & nephew, a supportive/encouraging/faithful mother-in-law, awesome sister/brother/grandmother/grandfather/father in-law (ok, to sum it up...ALL of Jero's wonderful family), and a fabulous family of my own! I am thankful for the roof over my head and things that have been afforded to me by the grace of God.

I am MOST thankful for God's immense love that is bestowed upon me, and for His grace and mercy!!! I pray that the Lord would use me to encourage others, such as these women, as I may be in need of encouragement one day.

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."
Psalm 107:1