“Uphold me according to thy promise, that I may live, and let me not be put to shame in my hope! Hold me up, that I may be safe
and have regard for thy statutes continually.”
Psalm 119:116-117
A newborn baby is carried out as the lone survivor of her family. A father continues to hold the hand of his deceased fifteen year old daughter. An entire family is rescued, and several survivor children are carried from the rubble. These are the scenes and images shown on the nightly world news after the earthquake that killed thousands in Syria and Turkey. Images of loss and destruction are contrasted by images of miraculous saves, and grateful survivors. There are scenes of EMS workers holding up people of all ages, bringing them out of the ruins and into safety. It seems to fit what this scripture verse is saying, “Uphold me that I may live….” EMS workers labored tirelessly to uphold the survivors, so that they can live. Scenes like this produce a dichotomy of emotions. There is sorrow at the scenes of wreckage and loss, yet gratitude for the lives saved against all odds. As we look at the images, we cannot help but feel sorrow and gratitude at the same time. Maybe the way to deal with extreme sorrow is to find gratitude in it. I remember feeling both extreme sorrow and extreme gratitude at the same time. The sorrow was over a debilitating illness that was taking my husband’s quality of life. The gratitude was for the constant help and support of friends, family, nurses and therapists. There were many small blessings that came in the form of small details. Finding caregivers who were reliable yet not from an agency, since agency caregivers would have cost twice the price. Nurses, respiratory and physical therapists frequented our house each week. One day the physical therapist who was sent, was the mother of a boy who was on the youth golf league that my husband once taught. It may have appeared to be a coincidence but I believe it was a blessing sent from God. Gratitude is found in the small things. In whatever sorrow we experience in our lives, if we can find something to be grateful for, it gives us strength. In our gratitude, God upholds us. The earthquake survivors were upheld physically and rescued to safety. Sometimes we are upheld emotionally through a small blessing or coincidence. In whatever we face, God is there to hold us up through our sorrow, our sickness and our struggles. Lord, help us find the small things to be grateful for, which you send to uphold and strengthen our spirit.