It had been a long night! With a cervical collar wrapped tightly around my neck and instructions never to take it off, I found it difficult to sleep. For three nights, I slept in the recliner my sons had moved into my room. I could not figure out how to safely get into and out of my bed! Finally, with the help of a physical therapist on a YouTube video and my son Jeff, I learned how to lie down and get up with a broken neck. What a challenge! (You can learn how to do most anything on YouTube!)

A new routine emerged—sleep two hours in bed. Get uncomfortable. Sleep two hours in the chair. Uncomfortable again. Move back to the bed. I was getting tired and grumpy! As I arose on Day 5, I was irritable. Sitting down on my sunporch to begin my daily devotional time, I complained to the Lord that I was tired of this collar, that it was uncomfortable, that I could not sleep, that it itched, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

And then the Lord spoke to me—very clearly, “Be thankful for that collar. Let it become your new BFF. Recognize that it is embracing you—not choking you! Remember it is keeping you upright at home rather than prone in a hospital bed for months. Work on your attitude!”

And I did—I really tried! I worked hard to develop an Attitude of Gratitude instead of one of whining and complaining. No, I don’t like the collar, but I can honestly say now that am thankful for it. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 has taken on new meaning: “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”

Notice it says “in” not “for” all circumstances. I have found that we can be thankful “in” our circumstances because we have a loving Father who will carry us when we can’t carry ourselves.

Mike Motley, our pastor at Trading Ford Baptist Church, is preaching a sermon series on Psalm 23. In unpacking Psalm 23:4, “He restores my soul,” Pastor Mike explained that there is a condition among sheep that renders them helpless—flat on their backs—unable to get back up. These poor animals are called “cast sheep” or “kessing sheep.” Unless the shepherd helps them back on their feet, they will usually die. Such are we spiritually. When we are flat on our backs in a pit of depression and despair, we need the Good Shepherd Jesus Christ to set us on our feet again or we, too, risk spiritual death as we succumb to unbelief, anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, gloom, and desolation.

When I lay in the hospital flat on my back with a broken neck, I realized how much I had taken for granted. I was a cast sheep—physically and spiritually. Praise God, he stood me up, sent me home, is healing me, and gently corrects me when I am tempted to backslide into the pit! The least I can do is say “Thank you!” with a cheerful attitude! I can identify with the psalmist:

Then I realized that my heart was bitter,
and I was all torn up inside.
I was so foolish and ignorant—
I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.
Yet I still belong to you;
you hold my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
leading me to a glorious destiny.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
I desire you more than anything on earth.
My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
but God remains the strength of my heart;
he is mine forever. Psalm 73:21-26 NLT

Several years ago, I read a book by Ann Voskamp that had a tremendous impact on me. When Ann was only four years old, she watched as her younger sister was run over and killed by a delivery truck. Because of this tragedy, a joyless mood of depression overwhelmed her and her family throughout her childhood. As she became a mother herself, she longed for a joy she had never known until a neighbor challenged her to begin a list of 1,000 gifts. She accepted the challenge, and this simple practice transformed her life and became the basis of her best-selling book, One Thousand Gifts.

As a family, our past two years have been challenging. With the passing of Papa Gerry and grandson Garrett within 17 months of each other and then this debilitating accident that left me with a broken neck, I am keenly aware that it would be very easy to become that “cast sheep” again. No doubt, the upcoming holiday season could be very difficult. It is my prayer, though, that we will be able to focus on our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, as we experience the awe of Christmas. I pray that my own list of 1,000 gifts will include precious memories of past years, delightful moments in the here and now, and hope-filled dreams of the future. Isaiah 43:19 reminds us, “For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” Even in the most difficult situations, King Jesus promises us a “future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11 NLT)

What about you? Have you experienced the powerful hand of the Good Shepherd lifting you up from your prone position and setting your feet on solid ground? Have you found unimaginable joy as you developed an attitude of gratitude?

I would love to hear about it! Feel free to share your comments below and let others know the power of our loving Savior!

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” James 1:2-4 NLT