Counting Blessings

 Blessings come in all shapes, sizes and sorts. Sometimes it is hard to see that they are blessings, but God has promised that “…all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)  God uses the mistakes we make, the things we think are bad or unfair, and the trials we face for good. And although this is a lesson that we seem to have to learn over and over again, it is also a promise of God… and God doesn’t break his promises.

As I write this, I am thinking of what a blessing yesterday was for us. We had a very expensive day, but a very freeing one as well. We were able to pay off the car we began paying for last fall and it is a relief to be one step closer to debt free. But without the trials that we face and the “bad luck” we would not have had this blessing. God has used a seeming negative situation in our lives to do immense amounts of good, and that one trial, has ended up being filled with many blessings.

Last November was filled with news of all kinds for us. News of another baby on the way, news of upcoming visits with family, and the news that the man Eric had helped in a car accident was HIV and Hepatitis C positive, leaving Eric very open to the possibility of contracting either disease. I must admit that night is one that none of us will soon forget. As we made a midnight trip to the ER in Durango for an imperative and time sensitive treatment, this promise of God was not foremost in our minds. We knew God would take care of everything as He has promised, but that He was capable of changing something as threatening as HIV into a blessing really wasn’t something we considered.

Now, three months later, the possibility of Eric getting HIV is still a reality to us as he faces ongoing blood tests and constant precautions around the house, but we are really seeing how much of a blessing God has turned this into. Even as soon as the next day we saw God working through this trial in so many ways.

The area that we live in was not equipped to deal with HIV and because of that, the ER didn’t know how to dispense the crucial medications; none of the pharmacies within 3 hours had the medication that Eric would need for the next 30 days; and since they are all so time sensitive, there was no way of getting shipped within the allotted time. But God is faithful… the ER was able to give Eric enough medication to last until we could get it shipped to a local pharmacy, the costs were fully covered, and better than all of that, the next person to face HIV exposure will have an ER staff that knows what to do about it, pharmacies that are required to keep the medications on shelf at all times, local doctors that know who to put them in touch with for any questions, and a place to get medication that the state will help pay for – all things that happened because of what Eric had to go through.

Yes, God is faithful. But even that isn’t all. Because of the trouble we had with getting Eric’s medication, we ended up spending a lot of extra time in Durango, which allowed us to go to the home missions conference at Frontier, and through that, God was able to use us being there to answer the prayers of friends and family for a young boy’s salvation. Never mind which, but we heard some great and much needed sermons and were able to be an encouragement to a brother in Christ. Again, I say, God is faithful… but even that isn’t all.

Through the trials that we faced, God has been a blessing to others. He has encouraged them in their prayer lives, He has strengthened them when their faith was weak and He has brought them closer to Him.

And we are still seeing how God can use the trials in our lives and turn them into a blessing not only for others, but for us as well. Because of this accident back in November, Eric was given a settlement with the car insurance company to cover the ongoing costs of blood tests, the travel expenses back and forth to Durango and the costs of lost labor from being on the medication. And that money is what we were able to use to pay for the car, as well as to pay off one credit card debt. God is still using that accident to help us in our daily lives as Christians, and I am thankful for it.

As I learn more and more about what the bible says and the advice it gives us for our daily life as Christians, I see how God has used this trial to help us grow, and not only to grow, but to do what it is that He asks of us. God is faithful. He promises to use all things for good, and He promises to make a way for you to do what He asks, and this time, He kept both promises through the same situation.