Skip to main content

Grateful


Recently I attended a regional ladies' meeting for all of our area churches here in the valley.  In the afternoon attendees could choose between several workshops.  I chose based on which location would be the coolest and figured that the class held in the main auditorium would be the best!  Interestingly enough it was about women's mental health.

The speaker related the many signs of severe depression and anxiety.  As she went over her lists, I could have easily put a check mark on each and every item as I've experienced them all over the past two years.  At one point she mentioned that if you have had any or some of the symptoms for more than six months, you need professional help.  I started calculating in my little head the time frame of my "symptoms:" forgetfulness, insomnia, heart palpitations, acts of random rashness, anger, despair...

I finally decided on 515 consecutive days.  How many days is six months?  180?

Today I am thankful that I am still here!  Still on the field, still married to my man, still healthy, still kicking and getting set to celebrate my 50th birthday on this Friday.  I made it through a dark valley of my life - not always with total grace and style - but with prayer and with daily gratitude for small blessings in the midst of terrible anxiety and pain.  Today I can praise God for helping my family as we faced some large obstacles and trudged our way through to the other side.

On this Thanksgiving 2015 I am thankful for:

my praying friends near and far

my husband

my three sons

my mother and father

my extended family

my Savior and God
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Thank you for stopping by! Leave me a message if you would.

Popular posts from this blog

My Promise Verse

Job 23:10 But he knoweth the way that I take:  when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. This verse has been a favorite of mine since I was a teenager. When I was a high school senior at a Christian school in Virginia, Job 23:10 was chosen as our class theme verse. At our graduation commencement, the valedictorian and saludatorian in their addresses that day divided the verse in its two natural parts as a basis for the core of each one's address. I was the salutatorian of my senior class that year.  I chose to speak of how God would one day reward our faithfulness and thus, we should always strive to remain true. For many years though, the first part of the verse haunted me in a way. As a missionary especially when times were lonely or difficult, I assumed it was my "trial" or "test," and as such must be accepted in all humility. As I have grown older, I have begun to look more toward the pearly gates and have reconsidered the thr...
2 comments
Read more

Core Memories: Furlough 2018

  I happened upon an archive of old home video from our furlough in 2018 while transferring items to a new laptop.  Oh, what fun to watch!  Decided to put them in a little video collage.  Making important memories while in the USA with our grands is important!  It takes a little effort and a little intent.   Enjoy! In memory of Papa Potter
Post a Comment
Read more

Old Film, Same Message

A missionary colleague recently uploaded some old films made about the work in Brazil by Baptist Mid-Missions many years ago in the 1950's. Yesterday I was able to watch the first of the series.  All I can say is "Wow!  Things haven't changed much in Brazil.  And things haven't changed too much with the work of missions in Brazil either!" There are still donkey carts in the street.  They have better wheels nowadays! There are still people who live in grass huts and high apartment buildings, too. Bicycles are still many people's only means of transportation, if they are that lucky! Many roads in the interior towns are still paved with cobblestones, if they are paved at all. And yes, chickens are everywhere, even in big cities. Brazil still needs missionaries! That's right, Brazil is not evangelized and in no need of foreign missionaries today.  It still needs workers to spread the Good News of the Gospel and the Risen Saviour!  Sadly that part of t...
2 comments
Read more