This is one of the ways God has been blessing me and teaching me.
In November my friend and I were texting about her son’s first birthday and since I was spending a lot of time in bed, I asked what I could make him.
“Have you ever made a teddy bear?”
And so learning to make teddy bears began.
Jesus has blessed me so much!
I have found I can crochet, even when I can not do much of anything else.
So I made some for gifts.
Starting with my friend’s boy and moving on to making some as decorations for the baby shower.
I have enjoyed making them.
And I’ve been truly surprised by the reactions of others.
Infact, Sis made sure to announce after the shower that the bears were for sale, and I actually sold one!
“Thank You, Lord! What a blessing.”
I was surprised and blessed again yesterday.
Sis texted to let me know she had a family member who wanted to custom order a bear for a friend who is having a baby.
Wow!
I was and am blessed.
Especially since the whole thing has been a fruit of being so sick with my asthma and allergies.
It again reaffirms my faith.
Just because I’m struggling physically doesn’t mean God has abandoned me.
Infact He has used it.
I’ve learned, no matter how I feel, to praise God.
Yes, I have times of discouragement.
Yesterday for example, when I realized I was too sick to make my nephew’s baseball game.
I haven’t made a single one this year and I was looking forward to going.
I kept resting and praying for strength to be able to go.
It didn’t happen.
So, I finally let go of my desire and texted my apologies.
But, it took a few minutes with the Lord to get my feelings sorted out.
As I was working on my emotions a soft reminder came to my heart.
Be thankful.
Absolutely, I was looking at the wrong thing.
“Jesus, thank You for my family who understands my limitations. Thank You for my comfortable bed and lots of yarn to make things. Thank You…”
A few minutes later Anne came in to check on me.
She was surprised to see the change.
(I had asked her to leave only a bit earlier while I, crying softly, said I could “pull it together “.)
And it was only a little bit of thankfulness which turned the tide.
But little bits can grow large.
A thankful heart which rests in God’s arms can be large.
At least it feels like mine has grown.
It’s so much easier to love when I’m not afraid.
It’s so much easier to face the challenges when I know I’m not the One in charge.
It’s so much easier to find peace when I truly trust,
even if it’s only
a little bit.
Because like a tiny seed,
with God watering it
and His Son shining upon my heart,
it is growing into something
a whole lot
larger.
patientlyhopeful 