Remembering the past

We all face unpleasant circumstances at various points in our lives such as unemployment, physical illness, or loneliness. Immediately after a difficulty has ended or a long awaited blessing has finally come to pass, it is natural to feel extremely grateful, but as time passes, it is easy to take things like good health, a loving spouse, the ability to pay our bills, or our children for granted. My three-year-old son was diagnosed with eosinophilic esophagitis when he was seventeen months old. Because swallowing had been so painful for him until he was treated for this disease, he developed a severe feeding disorder. Last April we spent four weeks at a hospital two hours from our home so that he could participate in an intensive feeding program. Upon entering that program at the age of twenty-seven months old, he was only consuming a special formula and coconut milk yogurt. The first time I saw him chew a miniscule crumb was a spectacular moment. He had his first bite of cake two months before his third birthday. Now he is almost like a typical preschooler in terms of his eating skills. There are times, such as when he takes ninety minutes to eat a bowl of cereal, that I get frustrated, but then I try to stop and reflect on how far he's come. A year ago the thought of him eating a bowl of anything was completely out of the realm of possibility.

Counting my blessings is one of the surest ways to boost my spirits. I know there are many people in the world who suffer in ways that I cannot fathom. I have never lacked for food, shelter, or clothing. Giving thanks for those blessings doesn't have the same effect on my emotions as recalling how the Lord has brought me through various struggles in the past. For example, when I remember the pain we experienced during our six year battle with infertility, I'm overwhelmed with gratitude for the three precious children the Lord has given us, and it eases any angst I might be feeling towards one of them in a particular moment. There are examples in the Bible of people building various memorials to remember God's faithfulness and provision. In I Samuel 7:12 it speaks of an Ebenezer stone that Samuel set up to remember how the Lord had helped them. We can create an Ebenezer stone just by taking the time to reflect on the difficulties the Lord has brought us through thus far. We have so much to be thankful for!