My husband, Floyd, is recovering from open-heart by-pass surgery. So things he could do with ease only ten days ago, he now finds incredibly difficult. Simple things like sitting down and standing up; lying down and sitting back up; putting on his shoes, etc. One day he said, “You don’t realize how much you take those little, everyday motions for granted.”
Ephesians 5:20 says, “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;” We should thank God always for all things. How easy it is to take things for granted.
- The ability to walk
- The ability to talk
- Good health, strength, and eyesight
- Balance, depth perception, and fine motor skills
- The ability to feel pain (If we never felt pain, how would we know that we needed medical care.)
A good job is a blessing from the Lord, but the strength, knowledge, and ability to perform that job is a gift from God not to be taken for granted. A pretty house is a blessing from the Lord, but the physical ability to maintain a home is a gift from God. A new car is a blessing from the Lord, but the physical ability and eyesight which enable you to have a driver’s license is a gift from God. Sports is an enjoyable part of life, but the ability to run bases or throw a football or shoot a basketball or kick a soccer ball or swing a golf club is a gift from God.
People in wheelchairs may be able to shoot a basketball, but they can’t run bases. Blind folks can’t drive a car or play sports. And after open heart surgery, Floyd’s chest hurt when he moved certain ways. To stand up and sit down or to lie down and shift positions without the pain caused by these simple movements is indeed a gift from God. Let’s not take our health and strength for granted. They are truly gifts from God.