100th Post: Giving Thanks

" Sunrise: A New Day" photo by orange tulip

this is my 100th post in this blog which has been a therapy for me for the last couple of years. life has not been generally kind to me but after all that i went through, i am still up and standing tall. after all what happened to my family and close friends which at first i was unable to comprehend, life went on and yeah i am alive.

my brother just had his fourth major surgery a couple of days ago. advanced technology has somehow eliminated the physical pains of undergoing through the necessary procedure. his third major operation four months back took him ten hours, now its four hours and he came out of the recovery room weak but half conscious. listening to his voice telling me he is okay was- indeed, "priceless" i wanted to burst out in a song and weep with joy but i resolved to keep calm and gladly listened to his voice as he told me his fervent wish- not to undergo another operation again. i told him we can still be thankful because despite all the physical pains and emotional difficulties that he has endured as a part of his traumatic experience and consequently making life dysfunctional to his wife, children and family hardships in all aspects that we have to endure, he is still alive. it is a miracle giving him the chance to re-evaluate everything in his life and go back to the basics: discover what really matters, and realise that everything he has and still is- is due to God's abundant grace.

we do not have any idea how long will he stay in the hospital, how long will it take for him to physiologically function normally, how long before he himself would be emotionally healed from his total experience but we are full of hope that yes- he can through God's grace.

i am thankful to have prayerful parents who begins and ends their day asking God to pour out His grace to all their children. i am thankful for relatives and friends who in one way or another conveyed their concern to my brother and to us. i am thankful for my brother's wife who through it all, has been a pillar of strength for their little family. i am thankful for my kid sister who practically stopped her regular activities to devote her time and energy assisting my sister-in-law or taking good care of the patient herself - from the time my brother was bed-ridden, wheel chair bound, started using crutches and as he continues to undergo therapy for the possibility of walking again.

i thank God for the strength of character that He gave me- to encourage the discouraged to keep going no matter what- to make them smile when they all wanted to do was cry and to let them remember that sunsets are not signals to a day's end but for us to look forward for the next sunrise. and each sunrise is another chance to celebrate a day added up to each person's life on this world of mortals-where we are.

all through this time, i have discovered that "full surrender" is the beginning of freedom and " letting go and letting God" is not a sign of weakness but strength and trusting is not a passive but an active verb.

i thank God for the lessons that the circumstances has brought me. and i thank God for the sunrise and many more to come.