Gratitude in the Midst of Hardship

Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this (his thorn in the flesh), that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you…” 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 ESV.

Last week, I had a consultation with a rheumatologist. The outcome of the visit was not great. He diagnosed me with an aggressive form of arthritis combined with pseudo gout (an accumulation of calcium crystals in the joints that causes sudden, excruciating pain). X-rays revealed multiple osseous erosions. Needless to say, the news put me in a funk for a couple of days until the Lord gently turned my thoughts to a woman I know who lives in a wheelchair. She was born without any limbs. In that moment, my perspective radically changed. I went from feeling sorry for myself to gratitude for what I do have. Far better to have wrists and knees that hurt than to have no arms and legs at all.

But the lesson didn’t stop there. That afternoon, our son Chris came home from the hairdresser’s. He was upset because the barber cut his hair too short. After I’d empathized a bit, I shared what God had just impressed on my heart. I went on to say how I would give anything just to have a thick, lush, beautiful head of hair like his (I was born with a very rare disease that affects hair growth). He bowed his head and grinned as the truth of the situation dawned on him.

It’s tempting to wallow in self-pity when life throws us a curveball. Now I’m not saying there’s no room for despondency, but when we indulge in self-pity, we are essentially telling God we are disappointed with what He is doing in our lives. For some reason, God has allowed this ‘thorn in my flesh’. I don’t understand its purpose, but I am thankful that He is in control and He will ultimately use it for good. My weakness allows Him to be all the more powerful in and through me. So, yes, I can sincerely say, “Thank you, Lord,” even through the pain.  

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for what you are doing in me. Although I sometimes wish I could be spared the pain, I trust your loving hand.  Do what you will in and through me. In your precious name I pray, Amen.

Thought: “It is amazing how many occasions present themselves in which I can choose gratitude instead of a complaint . . . But each time I make it, the next choice is a little easier . . . Acts of gratitude make one grateful, because step by step, they reveal that all is grace.” – Henri Nouwen