“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”
–Ephesians 3:20 (NLT)

Have you ever lived through a crisis you thought was impossible to endure, or overcome a challenge you surely thought was insurmountable? Well, Timothy and I are both blind, but God has used that as a challenge to draw us closer to Him. Through Him we have been able to solve our share of difficult problems, and we’re here to tell you that God can accomplish things we think couldn’t possibly be done. Let me give you a recent example of how He has worked in our lives.

The time had come for Tim and I to move out of our house and find a new place to live. We found this to be rather difficult, to say the least. First there were transportation issues, for we needed not only to be able to get to the places we looked at, but we also needed them to be accessible to the rest of the community. Secondly, many of the apartments we called had long waiting lists or were too expensive for us. We went through quite a bit of disappointment and frustration, but we tried to hold on anyway. We could only pray and ask for God’s help, and for the strength to survive this challenge.

Then, out of the blue, we received some unexpected help from our family. My father had volunteered to take us to some possible apartment buildings. We were looking at a duplex that seemed more than reasonable in price, but it was small and dingy. So afterwords, we called our family to get their advice. We discussed the pros and cons, telling them later that we had decided to wait on renting the duplex. They made an appointment for us to see a beautiful house, and if we liked it, they offered to purchase it and rent it to us. We loved it, and they made an offer. We were having dinner on Easter Sunday when we found out that the offer had been approved. We still haven’t been able to get over our joy, as it looks like we’ll be moving in next month.

While we’re still thanking God and our family for supplying the house on one hand, we realize how far we have to go in the school of thanksgiving. While God has reminded us of His faithfulness once again, I feel that He is teaching us another lesson that He wants us to share with you. You see, when it came time to write this devotion, we didn’t think we had a lot to say. But then we were stopped in our tracks, because it hit us in a new way what a great god we serve. After this we couldn’t remain silent, as the blessing of a new house was right in front of us. We were ashamed to find that we had overlooked it in our writing, and we felt like we had been asleep.

We all need to ask for forgiveness when it comes to a lack of thankfulness, because while you might be able to see physically, you may be blind to the blessings all around you. All of us have a tendency to take what God gives us for granted, so He would challenge us today to be creative people when it comes to thanksgiving. In other words, think outside the box, so that you can see with new eyes. Then give God praise for what He has done, what He will do in that tough situation you are facing, and the doors He wants to open for you in the future. Things may not always go according to our plans, but when that happens we can give Him thanks anyway, knowing that He has something much better in store for us.

I challenge you to look at life with wonder. Or, as Jesus put it, view life through the eyes of a child. Outside of your 9-to-5 world, God is continuing to do amazing things that we can’t comprehend. Instead of looking at your own troubles, look up with gratitude, and call on the source of all life.

Thank you for reading this, and may the Lord give you a wonderful week! We are trying to reach people who are hurting, so if God lays it on your heart, please consider becoming a partner with us. If you would like to make a donation, please visit www.hcmachaplains.org and click on the Donate Now link. You can also send donations by mail to HCMA (Healthcare Chaplains Ministry Association). Our ID number is 560. The address is 377 E. Chapman Ave., Suite 260, Placentia, CA 92870. Finally, check out our online store at www.amway.com/burdicksbargains. In order to support us, please register for free on our store website before purchasing anything. Thank you!

If you have questions, comments or prayer requests for Timothy or Stephanie Burdick, please call 641-715-3900, ext. 874157.