THANKFUL THURSDAY...long nights

Tonight is going to be a very long night for me. I have so many things around the house I want to get accomplished before the morning sun rises. I have been busily working around the house like I am an expectant mother nesting before giving birth...

• Making sure the house is in order.
• The laundry done up.
• Ironing sent to the dry cleaners.
• Cookies made for the kids.
• Casseroles pre-made and in the freezer.
• Monthly bills pre-paid.

I am getting ready for my 6 a.m. appointment (Friday). I will check myself into the surgery center and put my faith in a team of medical professionals. Several months ago, a mass was detected and to our disappointment the mass (now referred to as a tumor) has grown substantially and in the morning I am having it removed. I am working like a busy little bee around this house because I do not know the extent of what will be done in the morning. Depending on what they find will determine the outcome and the length of recovery.

So the OCD person that I am, I am not letting the night end before everything on my list is completed! It is going to be a LONG night!

I recall a story I read not too long about a long night a young boy had...

A particular Native American tribe had a very unique practice for training their young braves. On the night of a boy's 13th birthday, he was placed in the middle of a dense forest - all alone - to spend the entire night.

Up until this time, the boy had never been away from the safety of his family or tribe. On this particular night, he was to prove that he was a man. He was blindfolded and taken miles from anyplace familiar to him. When the blindfold was removed, he was in the woods - alone - for the night. Every time an animal howled, he probably imagined a wolf leaping out of the darkness. Every time a twig snapped or the wind rustled the leaves, he probably wondered if a wild animal was about to pounce.

It was no doubt the scariest night of this young boy's life.

But when the first rays of morning sunlight began to penetrate the depth of the forest, the boy looked around and saw the flowers, the trees and the outline of the path. And to his surprise, at the end of the path he could see the figure of a warrior. He stood just a few feet away and he was armed with a bow and an arrow.

It was the young boy's father - he had been there throughout the
night.

Wow! Isn't it reassuring to know, just like this father who was there for his son, that our heavenly Father is always present - no matter how dark or frightening the circumstances are that we find ourselves in. We may not always be able to see Him, but He is always standing watch over us. He is armed and ready to protect us even while we go thru the tests of life.

I am thankful today on this THANKFUL THURSDAY, that even though I am facing a very long night - that He is with me ... watching, protecting and loving me.

ARE YOU EXPERIENCING A LONG NIGHT??

HEBREWS 13:5 " God has said, 'I will never leave you; I will never abandon you."

What are you thankful for today? Please visit IRIS who hosts THANKFUL THURSDAY and see what others are grateful for today.