When Life Isn't all Buttercups and Daisies

Life can be very difficult at times and when we are the outside looking in at another's life it may seem as if everything is picture perfect. And yet, their reality may be very different than what it seems. 

Someone commented to me recently at how blessed my life is and while there are many things that are good, there are just as many things that are not. 

I have an adult child who lives with us who is on the autism spectrum. While he is very high functioning, there are challenges each day with him. He struggles which means we struggle. He is currently without a job and looking for another and I try and not get anxious about that. I am so very thankful for the team of people he has through the services he receives. That lessens some of our burden.

I spent the day with my in-laws yesterday and left at 7:40 in the morning to drive over an hour to pick them up and bring them to our church. It was an exhausting day. My mother-in-law has dementia and it is sad to see the total change in her personality. She gets angry and agitated over different things and I felt like a referee all afternoon. I miss the times when we didn't feel like we were the parents and visits were enjoyable.

I'm working hard in not succumbing to worry as we struggle financially. We got hit with a huge tax bill this year which just feels unfair. It seems as if everything is wearing out at the same time and there are many other financial obligations we are dealing with.

My point in this post is not to complain about these things but to share a different perspective. My life isn't all buttercups and daisies and is often hard. But I know that God sustains me. He gets me through the tough times. 

There are many other things I could list, but won't. However, I am thankful that my faith in the goodness of God helps me walk through the hard days when I really want to curl up in a ball and just cry.

I'm thankful that after I wake up each morning and spend time with Him, my perspective changes. I'm able to find the joy in the day and actually find pleasure in different things about my life. 

Coming over here on Mondays and listing some of the ways I've seen God at work is a huge help. That exercise of giving thanks is a blessing in itself and changes my outlook on a day which can feel very mundane. 

I am blessed not because things are going well, but because the Lord has taught me to look to Him for my sustenance and encouragement.