Thankful

The holidays are in full swing.  Thanksgiving Day is just a few days behind me, and now I'm thinking about Christmas.  I'm one of those annoying people who tends to mesh the two holidays; I like my Christmas tree up and Christmas music on in November.  And although I didn't publicly post on FaceBook like many of my friends all of the things I'm thankful for, I sure have been counting my blessings!

I'm beyond thankful to be having a peaceful season here at home with my three children and husband all together.  Being together means so much more now since we endured such a long separation period, and I don't think I'll ever take it for granted again!  I'm so thankful that Avery is as healthy as he is.  We also have been blessed recently in several ways.  Without going into tons of details, I'll just say that God seems to be making a way for Avery to receive some medical coverage and services that we have struggled to get him due to income restrictions.  I never knew how twisted our system was before having Avery, but folks who work jobs and own homes have it much harder than people who don't when it comes to getting help for their special needs child.  However, I got a very encouraging phone call the other day, and I'm feeling very hopeful. 

Our family has also been blessed in other ways.  Our attention has been so focused on just surviving Avery's health crisis that things like ministry, finances, and plans for our future had been completely ignored.  I've been teaching a class two days a week at a local college, forcing me to put my mushy brain back into gear.  Phillip has had a lot of ministry opportunities recently, and it feels good to be able to start looking toward the future again -- to actually have options.  That not may make a lot of sense to you, but for us, we have felt very stuck, overwhelmed, and completely wrapped up with getting Avery healthy, which of course we're happy to do, but it has taken its toll in other ways.

We spent Thanksgiving Day in Tennessee with my father-in-law and his new wife, Mary.  Although our hearts still ache for those who we have lost, it's so wonderful to see how God has restored the joy in their lives and brought something good out of something so painful.  The Hoskins family has been broken and experienced a lot of grief over the last few years -- much like the Isaacs family, and it is so nice to see how our family is being blessed by having an entirely new family added to it, and strangely, they share so many common experiences that there's an understanding of what each has been coping with.  God sure knows how to heal!

Yes, I'm thankful for my home, food, clothing, and all the other material blessings I possess, but this year has been about so much more than that.  Bryson said the other day, "Mom, I sure wish Christmas was all about getting and not about giving!"  Well, we do have a bit more training, perhaps, to get Bryson more in tune with the true meaning of the season.  But after being on the receiving end last year of so many kind gestures from our friends, families, hospital staff, and Ronald McDonald House, it sure feels good to be able to give back this year!  I'm truly thankful that God has carried us through this year. 

God bless!
Bethany