I'm Grateful for Duct Tape

"Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."  Ephesians 5:20

 

I'm so grateful for my relationship with God, my husband, my 3 healthy children, my supportive family, my encouraging friends, my opportunity for ministry...

A warm home, a hot shower, nutritious food, a comfortable bed and duct tape. 

Yes, I'm grateful for duct tape. 

My husband's car is a piece of junk.  It was once a pretty sweet car bought when we had 2 incomes and were going through infertility and thought..."If we can't have kids, let's buy a car we couldn't have if we had kids." 

 

Now?  It's loud, rumbly, dirty and among the other many, many, many things wrong with it, this past summer, a shattered back window was added to the list.  We refuse to get it fixed because, sure enough, we would drop all this money to replace the back window and the car would immediately die.  So we are determined to drive this car until it won't drive any longer.  It's kind of a fun experiment...how long will this car actually go?

 

Never-mind the fact that it reminds us of the car from Planes, Trains and Automobiles. 

Never-mind the fact that it also reminds us of the car in Tommy Boy. 

Never-mind the fact that the back window is now plastic and duct tape!

It really makes us laugh.  Even though it's frustrating...even though it's not at all ideal...
 

Shouldn't we be grateful that he has a car in the first place? 

A car that takes him to his many jobs that allows me to stay at home with our kids?  A car that takes him from point A to point B?  A car that, although is so ugly, somehow still works?  Yes!

The bible says to give thanks always and for everything.  Not just for the things that are perfect or beautiful or wonderful or fully functioning or exactly the way we want them to be. 

That's just not realistic.  That's just not real life. 

We are called to give thanks always and for everything and that's why I'm thankful today for our crappy car.  And that's why I'm grateful...for duct tape!

What unexpected thing in your life are you grateful for?

Father, help me to truly give thanks always.  Help me to truly give thanks for everything.  It's so easy to focus on what I don't have, so help me to focus on what I do have.  Lord, fix my eyes on You and help me to see the blessings You have given me.  Help me to be grateful for the big things, but also for those little things that I sometimes miss.  And as I celebrate Thanksgiving this week, help me to give thanks to You for everything in my life...including duct tape!  In Jesus' name.  Amen.