Having been involved in an accident where a deer ran out in front of me on the highway, I was pretty shaken up and sore.

I spent the following Sunday morning home alone from church and walked around our yard praying. I decided to go to our small Care group – a community group of about 12 adults who meet together every couple of weeks in a home – because I thought it would be good for me to get out and be with people.

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At my care group, I told them this had been the hardest week of my life.

Aside from the fact that my car was almost totaled, I was prevented from visiting my older sister who was on her death bed in the hospital about 10 hours drive away. That was where I was headed when I hit the deer.

But then when I got home that night, I decided to write out all the wonderful things that God did during the week of my trial and thank Him for them.

After I wrote the list, I realized it had actually been the BEST week of my life.

Here is my list for you:   I’M SO VERY THANKFUL!

I am thankful that God preserved my life and the lives of all the drivers travelling around me on that Tuesday when a deer ran out in front of us.

I am thankful for the kind police, tow truck driver, & fellow driver who stopped to be sure I was okay.

I am thankful that I wasn’t too far from my husband’s work so he got there quickly.

I am thankful that my car was not totaled like we were originally told to expect.

I am thankful for the amazing air bag that kept me from crashing into the windshield and I am thankful for the smart minds who created that technology.

I am thankful that my brother and sister and & their spouses sacrificed time and resources to represent all of us siblings to my older sister during her dying days.

I am thankful that my siblings and niece and nephew kept me in the loop with regular texts & photos while my older sister continued in her health decline.

I am thankful for the amazing nurses and doctors at Cookeville Regional Medical Center who served in their professional expertise and with their hearts to my sister and family at this difficult time.

I am thankful for God’s Word that has ministered to me in my hurt.

I am thankful for a niece and a sweet friend from church who offered to pay for me to fly down to be with my dying sister.

I am thankful for my sweet cousin, aunt, good friend in Georgia, and another good friend in South Carolina who followed this vigil through multiple daily texts with me – often hourly.

In fact, I am thankful for the technology of cell phones so that I could text so easily and copy and paste messages to each one.

I am thankful for a multitude of friends who have reached out to love on me with texts, meals, calls, emails, and a plant!

I am thankful for four friends who have texted me that they would serve me however I needed serving (cleaning, errands, meals, etc!) And one of the ones offering has 3 small children!

I am thankful for renewed contacts with special friends of my older sister from the past!

I am thankful for the family of God who reached out to my other sister, brother, brother-in-law, niece, & nephew at this time of grieving.

I am thankful for a loving husband and family here who have listened to me and allowed me to be weak and to cry.

I am thankful for Kinza’s boyfriend and Colette’s boyfriend who each wanted to help me as they could.

I am thankful for Anna’s husband who has stood strong by her side through all her illnesses – until Anna’s death parted them.

I am thankful that God has been merciful to me a sinner and that I am saved by His grace.

I am thankful that Anna knew of Jesus’ love for her and she felt her family’s love all around her in her last weeks. One of the nurses whispered to her during a stream of family visitors, “You sure do have a lot of people who love you.”

I love You, jesus, so much. Thank You from the bottom of my heart for being my Savior.

“Blessed be the Lord, for He has wondrously show his steadfast love to me.” Psalm 31:21a  ESV

Because of changing my focus to one of being thankful, I was able to change the worst week of my life into the best week of my life.