It's a Wonderful Life (and the movie too)

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
Monday at the ophthalmologist's office we waited two hours to see the doctor for a fifteen-minute check. All four kids were with me. This doctor sees patients from all over the world, having developed a new surgical technique for strasbismus. There were three patients ahead of us, all new and seeking treatment for complicated problems, thus the unusual wait.

 The doctor finally came in and there we were, trying to hide our exasperation, but he's got such a dynamic personality we all perked up quickly. He knew Beth got her tonsils out so he joked with her, asking where her tonsils were now. She glanced at me, hesitated, and then told him with a giggle, "They're in heaven."

The doctor and his intern got such a chuckle out of Miss Beth!

Next, he asked her if she had a pool and if she'd been swimming. She told him no, so he asked if she could dig up her own pool. "No, it's too heavy," she answered. He responded, "Do you have a dog? Maybe he can dig a big hole for you?"

She giggled at that thought and said, "You're so silly!"

Beth loved his shenanigans so much that when he released her from the examining chair, she gave him a big bear hug.

Touched, he hugged her right back and said, "That was the best part of my day."

And I don't know why, but when we left and headed for the elevator, I had tears in my eyes.

Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

My Beth is such a blessing to all of us, and I love it that she's also a blessing to her rheumatologist and ophthalmologist (she gave hugs on Friday to her other doctor and the nurse practitioner too).

The Lord has reasons for allowing health conditions in our lives, and sometimes in the case of Christians, it's to bless our caregivers in some way, perhaps? As the years pass and Beth continues to visit these offices, maybe she'll tell them about her personal faith, and all the love she offered them in the previous years might make them think twice about Jesus.

The best part was, her eyes are clear, despite the recent medication break! Even the doctor was surprised at this blessing.

Hebrews 12:28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,

Giving Thanks to God:

~ My uncle and his friend brought four refurbished bikes over yesterday, and I've got some blessed kids!

~ I took an Easter-type dress out of the closet Sunday morning and presented it to Beth as a church choice. Pleased to see it, she said, "Oh, I thought that dress was only for bake sales." (I merely giggled, but in my head I thought...Bake sales? Since when do we see bake sales at all, especially with fancy dresses on?) I don't know where she gets some of the things she says, but I hope she keeps entertaining me for years to come.

~ Beth asked me into the bathroom to keep her company. She proceeded to tell me, holding up her dress-up princess dress, "I changed my mind; I'm not going to be a candy maker when I grow up. I'm going to be a princess instead, but I know someone will be a candy maker so don't worry about that."

~ Peter's zinnias blooming in the front yard.

~ Watching the family movie It's a Wonderful Life together. My husband, quite affected, teared at the end and I knew God used it to speak to his heart. He gave us all nice hugs afterwards.

~ Yesterday the kids and I went to a ministry meeting at a large fancy house full of toys, home to three children. They had their own creek and tree house, numerous bikes, scooters, skates, a fancy swing set, tons of board games, etc. Peter mentioned how lucky these kids were so it was the perfect opportunity to explain that wealthy people are no happier than others. People get used to having a lot of stuff and quickly get tired of their things and forget about most of them. Their everyday life isn't better. My boys know these kids from church and it didn't take long for Paul to agree, "She's right Peter. Those kids aren't any happier than us." To which Peter had to admit, "Yeah, I guess you're right, they aren't."

~ Ian from the Pray for Ian blog is walking without a walker!

~ The first Mercy House Kenya baby turned two years old!

~ Making chocolate cake with all the kids, even if some are just along for the licking part.

~ All the beautiful, life-sustaining verses in the Bible.

~ The hamster got loose during a cage cleaning, so the children enlisted my help in the search. After twenty minutes in the living room and dining room, I started down the hallway and there he was, right at the end, staring up at me like he found the whole thing amusing. Most of the time I dislike having a hamster in the house, but today I have to admit he's kind of cute. He seemed happy to get back to his cage and didn't try to bolt when Peter reached for him.

~ My husband's hugs.

~ I'm thoroughly enjoying the Eastern Hemisphere Sonlight titles I'm prereading this month. Such meaningful stories, all of them.



Psalm 107:1 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!

What's blessing you today, friend?