Grateful

Noah has only been out of school for 3 weeks (ugh....  Only three weeks???), and life has been, well, interesting.  More so than usual, if you can believe that!  My patience has run out faster and more easily than I care to admit.  I have been frustrated, angry and annoyed.  Quite simply, I have been taking my children for granted.

And now, I have been set straight.

Thousands of people in Colorado have lost their homes, livelihoods, belongings, pets and countless other items of importance in wild fires.  Many of them do not have insurance with which to replace and rebuild what they have lost, while other things just simply can't be replaced.  Thousands of people here in our area are still without power during one of the hottest heat waves in history, days after massive thunderstorms moved through several states.  In other countries, people have lost their homes and loved ones due to floods and earthquakes.

Today, I am grateful.  

I am grateful to be one of the few families in our area to have been able to maintain power throughout the storms.  I don't know if God was looking out for our ancient dog, who is having difficulty with the heat even in the air conditioned house, and Avery, who has been sick and having asthma flares due to the heat, but I'm grateful to have power and a fully air conditioned house.  I am grateful my kids are happy and healthy, I am grateful to have a husband who loves me, takes his role in our family seriously, loves our children and would do anything for us.  I am grateful for our house, this roof over our head, this van down by the river of ours.  I am grateful our pets are safe, healthy, taken care of and loved.  I am grateful for the protection we have been afforded.

As more stories emerge of the bravery people have exhibited during the fires and power outages, I'm grateful to our firefighters and other first responders, to those ready with hugs and tissues for the newly homeless.  I am grateful there will be people to show them the way from the devastation, to hold their hands and just love on them.  I am grateful for the heroes I have read about how raced back into the fires to rescue the animals, both farm and pets, that others were forced to leave behind, and who are now taking care of those animals as if they were their own, while doing their best to match pets with owners.  I am grateful to the people who have opened their homes and hearts to those in need.  

Today I am humbled.

More than anything else, I am grateful for the grace and mercy God extends to me every hour of every day.  When I take my children, health and other blessings He has given me for granted, He loves me through it, putting people in my path to set me straight again, gently reminding me of how good I really do have it, annoying children and all.