Grateful

     As I sit here in my dorm room, my family back home is struggling to adjust to life after my dad's unexpected kidney failure. It's midterms week, and I have three tests and project due in the next several days. I have friends dealing with a wide spectrum of family and personal issues. My phone broke and I had to buy a new one, and my sister crashed my car. My future is unknown, and I'm trying to figure out if I can afford to stay in school another year.

     And as I reflect, I am overwhelmed with gratefulness.

     I am grateful that the Lord I serve is constant, and that I don't have to be afraid when life gets rocky because my foundation will never move. I am grateful that He provides peace beyond my understanding. Gratitude is an insufficient word to express thankfulness for a life redeemed and forgiven and a love unconditional.

     Difficult situations sometimes provide the greatest backdrop against which to see God work. His holiness manifests itself in the healing and peace that He provides. God's presence is greater than any circumstance.

     Practice gratitude. Ask God to show you all the beautiful things you have to be thankful for, and no matter what the circumstance, rejoice that you have the opportunity to observe His holiness working not only in your situations but inside of you personally. That's a beautiful testimony.