A call to gratitude at the end of the year suggests I forgot to flip the calendar from November to December. Not so. Rather, it’s my reflection on the 2021 events for which I am grateful; a time to thank God for His goodness because His faithful love endures forever as declared in every verse of Psalm 136.
I’m thankful that the June diagnosis of Macular Schisis was in my left eye which has the lens implant for reading. Despite my left eye being unable to read the top letter on the eye chart, my right distance lens implant can read with magnification glasses and enables me to continue driving.
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Clearly the failure of eye drops to resolve the eye schisis and a November diagnosis of a hole in the macular was not good news. But I’m thankful that I was referred for surgery to the world renowned Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Palm Beach Gardens with a highly acclaimed surgeon. The decision of my brother and sister to fly more than 9,000 miles from Sydney, Australia to West Palm Beach, Florida and the timing of international COVID-19 travel restrictions being lifted to make this possible was a blessing. Their support were crucial to my making it through the post-surgery constraint of being face down 24/7 for seven days.
Robert repeatedly falling out of bed was a major concern, but highlighted his need for a bedrail, to put the ‘botox in the bladder’ procedure on the schedule, and for physical therapy. I’m glad that all three interventions helped to prevent further falls. Although I confess I’m still working on appreciating his refusal to follow his exercise regime.
The prayer and practical support of my church family during the weeks of our incapacity were indispensable and gratifying.
I’m thankful that God protected us from being exposed to COVID-19 and that our double vaccination came without side effects. One way of staying safe at home was to order home delivered groceries. Our neighbors even benefited when my order for nine individual bananas was misinterpreted as an order for nine pounds of bananas!
Every two weeks we appreciate Dilma’s house cleaning services. She even discovered a leak in the toilet soon enough that we could benefit from the generosity of Robert’s cousin who fixed the problem before major damage was caused. Maintenance issues in an aging home are inevitable so when the pool pump and water softener both needed replacing we were grateful our savings were sufficient to cover the cost.
Through it all, I appreciate being able to complete the last book in my dwarfism trilogy, Always An Advocate. I’m thrilled at the excellent contributions made by the editor, book cover designer, typesetter, endorsers, and book reviewers. (NOTE: the audiobook is expected to release in January 2022.)
So I wrap up the year with this advise, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” Philippians 4:6 (New Living Translation)
For information on my writings, go to my website at https://angelamuirvanetten.com.
3 replies on “Be Thankful in All Circumstances”
Such a good blog. Prayers for you and Robert’s recovery.
Praying you are both healthy soon! 🙏❤️🙏
Enjoyed reading this article. Thank you Angela for sharing your thankful list and your gift of writing. When I feel anxious, Philippians 4:6 comes to mind and then I make my requests known to God, with thanksgiving, and His peace guards my heart and mind.