One Thousand Gifts…giving thanks on broken clavicle days…

One of the things that Ann Vosberg talks about in her book 1000 Gifts is giving thanks even when things are tough. To see the gift when your eyes are clouded with pain, your forehead is creased with frustration, and your stomach is tied in double knots. She tells the story of one of her sons being injured, and sitting in the waiting room contemplating the gifts that she could still muster…still see…if she was willing to open her eyes.

I had to open my eyes extra wide today. It was a day that started out slow and groggy after  sleeping on the couch with Fiona once again. Then at 9:30, the phone rang. It was school, and my throat closed up in a moment of panic. The school secretary told me that Parker was hurt, and we would need to get him checked out. Not knowing what that meant, I threw on some clothes and dashed up to school to find a miserable little boy snuggled up with his preschool teacher. I immediately knew that something was seriously wrong, because Parker has a crazy high pain tolerance, and I could tell he was struggling.

Three hours later, we were on our way home from the ER, where we found out that he had a broken clavicle, a strained shoulder muscle, and a pretty bad bump on his head. As I drove, peeking back at Parker every 10 seconds, I kept thinking about the gifts…small things…but they made all the difference in the world. Here are a few…

#172: Button down shirts that he NEVER wears…he wore today

#173: Fleece blankets in the school office

#174: Ben being five minutes away from the hospital

#175: Valet parking

#176: Kid-sized hospital gowns

#177: Orange slushies

#178: Doctors that don’t insult your intelligence

#179: A slow day at the ER

#180: A clean break

#181: Pain killers

#182: Phone calls from preschool friends

#183: Feeling lifted in prayer

#184: God’s protection

Even in the hard things….God still gives good gifts to His children. And I give thanks. Always.