Reminder to be Thankful

Today we had Mass as a staff.  The Gospel was the story of the ten lepers healed but only one goes back to Jesus to say thanks.  Father Tomasz talked in his Homily about how we need to remember to be thankful for working together as a staff and that we were all brought together by God.  

It’s good for me to look back and be thankful.  I have been struggling ever since Eric went to school.   I feel more stress and more pressure.   I am now really the only one taking care of things around here and watching out for Joe.   My stress level has been much higher.  

I need to look back five years ago.  I need to remember.  At that time I knew something was coming at us and I knew it was big.   But, I had no idea what that something was.  All I knew was I needed to be prepared.   I didn’t know if it was my job or Joe’s.   I knew something was off with Joe but at that time chalked it up to stress and hating his job.   I couldn’t it choose not to think of what it might be.  

Yet in my denial God helped me prepare for what was the most unbalancing of our life.  It was so much more than I ever imagined.   I took that sense that something was coming seriously.   I studied for a year and earned my Geriatric certification in Pharmacy.   I took another year and earned my certification as a Youth Minister.   I researched careers and Masters programs.  I went to morning Mass and sat in front of Mary and prayed my heart out.  I asked for guidance.   I asked for strength.  I prayed to know which way to go when the fork in the toad came.   I prayed these over and over.  

Then it happened.   In six months every single thing in our life was overturned.  I cannot express how grateful to God I am for giving me the warning and helping me prepare for the storm.  I could not have done this without His strength and His guidance.  

In all of this He has brought wonderful, amazing people into our lives.    I am blessed not with co-workers, not with friends but with a new family.  I laugh with them.   I can tell them anything.   I know they have my back no matter what I go through.  I know they support me at my best and will carry me through my worst.  

Yes, today I needed the reminder of how I need to be so incredibly thankful for where I am today in my life.   I need to thank God for preparing me, strengthening me and guiding me.   I need to thank him constantly for bringing me to this parish, this job, this family.