Not For A Moment

"A weak signal," cable guy said, "I detected a weak signal coming from your television." Retrieving ladder from his white van, he climbed toward cloudy November sky and worked at fixing our weak signal. One hour later, dusk draped orange ladder and young man working to add new cable line so we could watch Scott Pelley on Channel Six news. Once he finished, we offered our thanks and drove off to daughter's house to romp with toddler boys. Later that evening, my mind traced verses of a song I heard recently on the radio. It played like one of those old vinyl record albums, thin needle stuck in the groove. "Not for a moment will you forsake me, not for a moment will you forsake me. After all, you are constant, after all you are always good." The lyrics draped across doubts, swathed me in peaceful fog as I sat with them, pondering meaning. Earlier in the day cable guy stepped on ladder to re-connect a feeble signal. It was dark but he continued on until he finished. In darkness, in pain and suffering, our faint signals ping, always, always, audible to the One who hears all. Trusting He listens is key, unlocking clenched fist and opening door to gratitude, weakness morphing into power. Learning to say thank you, connecting to broader network, brighter picture shoots flares towards heaven, search and rescue assured. Yes, my pain is still there. And so are orange-tinted leaves, three toddler grandchildren, husband who washes floors and co-workers who laugh. In August I received a gift from a good friend. Leather bound journal with familiar encouraging words inscribed on cover: "Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound..."She said I could write about my journey with pain. Surveying the size of journal, I decided not to heed her advice, rather choosing to upgrade my own thank you's to a bigger volume. More room to explore the practice of gratitude, more pages to capture precious moment. Frances Roberts wrote: "If you discern God's love in every moment of happiness, you will multiply a thousandfold your capacity to fully enjoy your blessings." All acts of gratitude have in themselves the power to transform circumstances. Not for a moment does He sit still, His ear bent in eager anticipation, all thank you's a resounding alleluia.

Happy Thanksgiving