Four Years Ago

 

Photo by Mike Croft

Psalms 139:17-18 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

So, we are being asked if we are better off now than we were four years ago.  Of course, the idea is that if perchance we are better off, then we “should” vote the present administration back into office.  If we are worse off, then we “should” vote in the contender.  The fact of the matter is that for the child of God it has nothing to do with who is President of the United States.  For my own part, I have been very blessed in the last four years, and it had absolutely nothing to do with the present administration, but everything to do with the loving kindness of my heavenly Father!

Four years ago today I was not married yet. We were planning to marry soon, but that was later in October. 

Four years ago I struggled to carry a frying pan full of food from the stove to the table.  I was so tired some days from doing very little that I couldn’t even prepare supper.  I still had a much higher level of anxiety and physical problems that hindered us from many things.  We didn’t make it to church very often at all.  I was still having serious issues dealing with groups of people.  I had not yet learned how to deal effectively with my seasonal affected disorder and winters were really rough – some years really, really rough!

So am I better off than I was four years ago?  Amazingly so!  God has been so wonderfully good to me. I can’t even express it well enough!  The difference that my husband has made in my life, the increased health and strength, the improvement in my emotional health, my sister-in-law’s efforts to keep me moving all of one hard winter, the love and support of my family and in-laws, the increased fellowship and friendship with our church family, the growth of other friendships, starting to drive again after 12 years, and so many, many other things – I just feel incredibly wealthy and blessed!  Psalms 18:35-36  Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.  Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.

Added to all that, my husband was very under-employed at the time we married, but after several job changes, he is blessed with a good job now.  This is something to be very thankful for in this present time.  But, that had nothing to do with the President of the U.S. either.  It is all the kindness and provision and mercy of our loving God.

We have been through tough things as well, and there have been challenges and unwelcome surprises.  But, the Lord has done exceeding abundantly above all that we asked or thought.  We’re going to stick with Him and not worry about who is President.  He does a far better job of taking care of us! :-)

Ephesians 3:20-21  Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.