Have you ever had a series of days when nothing seems to go your way? Trouble after trouble keeps piling up? Days and days that you’re supposed to be counting it all joy, but the only question you have is, “How? How can I count it all joy? It isn’t!”

I have.

While putting up my gheenoe for the winter, I ripped a hole in my left calf on the trailer’s tail light holder and will be in wound-care for six weeks.

A couple of days later, I drove through some unknown, unseen something that made my lungs shut down immediately, so I’m on big drugs just to breathe again and wearing masks to avoid further damage from the mold and dust of dying leaves.

Then I went for another oil change at Walmart. I know–pure stupidity, but I thought I’d give them one last chance to get it right. I checked their shelves, told them I’d seen Motorcraft Synthetic Blend 5w 20 in stock, and asked them to change my oil with it. They did the deed in record time–30 minutes–and charged me $75. They said, “The price of oil musta went up.” I paid it, looked at the receipt when I returned home and discovered they had put Mobil 1 in my car.

And running in the background of injury, illness, and emotional distress is an ongoing battle with TVA allowing the guy who bought the lot next to me to cut down a live tree on my shoreline so it won’t fall down on his dock which hasn’t even been built yet. To add insult to injury, TVA is allowing him to ignore the rule that requires owners to build their docks 10′ inside their own property line. For the record, that would place his dock on dry land, 60′ from the water’s edge. He has no waterfront property, but he will cut down a live tree, build his dock, and park his 22′ pontoon in my backyard with TVA approval.

Count it all joy? How! I started counting my blessings.

1. The wound-care staff is warm, friendly, and really good at their jobs. I enjoy going there, and they will heal my wound.

2. Even though my lungs are ultra-sensitive to environmental changes, my doctors have me on meds that allow me to live a normal life and immediately deal with life threatening situations.

3. I’m all for giving people a second and third chance, but at least I have oil in my car and the money to pay for it until I decide where to go for the next oil change.

4. And I’m so blessed to live in my own home on a beautiful lake with wonderful neighbors who call to check on me if my blinds aren’t open when they pass by.

Counting my blessings changed my perspective. Then just this morning, Sarah Young’s JESUS CALLING reminded me, “Instead of wondering about what is on the road ahead or worrying about what you should do if…or when…, you can concentrate on staying in communication with ME [Jesus].”

Peace began to replace my inner turmoil. After breakfast I walked Jethro by the lot next to me that has already been cleared. I looked up to see a grapevine that had doubled back on itself to form the sign of the fish. And I was reminded once again that God is my ever-present help. He is with me always in all ways, and with Him, I can handle anything life throws my way. He promised.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1