My Revelation on the Island of Patmos: Part 5 of 5

Thankful

”Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!” Psalm 107

The debilitating electrical pain from Trigeminal Neuralgia caused me to gradually lose function of my limbs. Any hint of movement would release shocks of pain through the left side of my face, so I lay on my right side as still as possible for days on end. The blinding beams of pain and suffering were all-consuming.

Then God brought beauty from the ashes I was covered in. The pain diminished and an adequate amount of relief enabled me to sit up in bed. With tears filling my eyes, I found no other words except a continual “Thank You God, thank You God, thank You God.”

As I write this today, my eyes become misty at the sheer memory of that day.

Supernaturally, my soul was transformed in a mere moment. Instead of being dominated by despair and grief, simple things that I typically overlooked and took for granted came to mind, like the ability to lift my head, move my arms, sit up in bed, and walk.

As I considered these things, my heart was overcome with gratitude. Simple prayers welled-up within within me, “God, thank You for arms and legs that move. Thank You for lungs that breathe. Thank You for eyes that see and a heart that beats.”

Being a nurse I reflected on the intricacies of the body’s anatomy and physiology and was thankful for my Glorious Maker Who created my fascinating and complex frame.

The simple movement of sitting up in bed without pain inundated my heart with more thankfulness than I was accustomed to experiencing.

Recalling the harshly agonizing days and the sincere gratitude I felt during the moments of respite gives me pause to consider and measure how appreciative I am today.

Oh the hideous nature of man to forget so easily all that we have to be genuinely grateful for! Regardless of the situation or pain, there is always beauty to be seen if we but have eyes to see. God have mercy and help us see the beauty.

There is a song of gratitude that we sing during Pesach (Passover) called “דיינו” (Dayenu) meaning, “That alone would have been enough for us.”

The song describes what the Lord has done to be good to Israel. After each description we sing, “that alone would have been enough for us,” as an expression of our thankfulness.

Here are a few lines from the “Dayenu” lyrics:
If God had only brought us out of Egypt… that alone would have been enough for us.

If God had only taken us through the Sea on dry land… that alone would have been enough for us.

If God had only given us the Torah… that alone would have been enough for us.

If God had only brought us to Israel… that alone would have been enough for us.

If God had only built us the Holy Temple… that alone would have been enough for us.

In times of suffering I am learning that I can continue to be thankful for things great and small.

From the beauty of a sunrise, to food, housing and clothing;

To my family who loves me and a tiny, pinky finger working.

God is good and His mercy endures, and this I do believe.

There’s something to be thankful for if we but open our eyes and see.

Abba, in Heaven, thank You for prayer and for wanting to communicate with me. Thank You for intimacy with You Who are Holy.