It’s been a hard week.

We had to have a “Come to Jesus moment” with our son that went well into the night. It ended well but it’s still emotionally draining. Those hard conversations can take a lot out of you, sometimes more than any physical work.

A friend had a stroke and has been in the hospital all week. No one really knows if she’ll recover. Visiting her was so hard because the last time I spent time with her she was talking, laughing, and enjoying a cookie we had brought her.

My husband’s uncle passed away. Though we knew it would happen eventually it’s still so difficult when it actually happens. Right now my hubby is mowing the lawn with the mower he gave us and I just can’t stop thinking about him and what a great guy he was.

A friend’s brother was in an accident and what life-flighted to a hospital. We’re praying for a miraculous and complete healing. My heart is so burdened for him and the family.

So, it’s been a hard week.

This morning I was praying over all these things and God reminded me of the good that happened this week. He reminded me of the blessings and joys in the midst of trials.

Our son is restored emotionally and mentally and even he says a burden is lifted off of him. The next morning he was like a different kid, cheerful, willing to help, laughing with his siblings. He gave me a big smile and said Good Morning! That might not seem like a big deal but when we’ve gone months with a sullen, withdrawn teen, it is a big deal!

Our dishwasher has been broken for weeks and we have just been hand-washing everything. We haven’t had the funds for a new dishwasher so we’ve just been dealing with it. Andrew wanted to just get one off of Craigslist regardless of not having the $100 for it and just figure it out later. But I kept telling him that the kids were doing a good job washing and it was really good for them. They all had to work together to wash, rinse, dry, and put away. There were some fights, but a lot of laughing and goofing around too. It was good for their relationships. Still, deep down, I really wanted to get it replaced before the baby came. It takes a lot longer to hand wash than load a dishwasher and with a new baby, homeschooling, and other chores, I wasn’t really looking forward to washing dishes long term. I didn’t say anything about it, just asked the Lord to provide. He did more than give us $100 for a used dishwasher!

On Wednesday evening someone snuck a dishwasher onto our front porch! I was even home with the little ones so I have no idea how I didn’t hear something! The dog didn’t even bark (tells you what kind of  guard dog we have). I have no idea who did it but whoever they are is well loved by our family! My kids were so excited! I was shocked! I know I shouldn’t be surprised because God has done things like that before for us and yet, it still puts me in awe every time!

Blessings don’t negate the trials. They don’t make the hard stuff go away. But they do remind us in the midst of the hard and negative that God is still with us, walking right beside us, holding us up, and seeing us through. He loves us so much he’ll replace a dishwasher for us! He loves us so much he’ll give us full healing, whether it be emotional, spiritual, or physical. And He never leaves us! That’s what those blessings remind us of.

In the midst of whatever you are facing, I pray you see God right there with you, loving you and taking care of you. I pray you never lose sight of Him and how much He loves you, even when things are so hard there seems to be no light. Because there is always light, always blessings.