Giving Thanks For A Thorn In The Paint

2.thanks for the thorn in the paint is your car have a thorn in the paint well almonds tell you but old Richard does the longer you own a car. The more familiar that you become without storing the paint in the case of my 1995 Dodge Dakota old red you have for years and years aggressive habit car over 20 years and 400,000 miles and and so I keep having overheating problems which lead to a blown head gasket of it has to do with change radiators. I've I've I've obviously changed engines. I've changed all sorts of venal thermostats and you name it, but it just you know everyone's lower rear its ugly head bomb. It's got a thorn in the paint doubt they said you had a Carlisle Avenue I'm guessing you can relate to what I'm saying that as some kind of a thorn in the paint. Maybe if you been married long enough, you come across that your spouse may have a little thorn in her or his paint he ever thanked God for that. Well this week. I recycle the story I've done this devotion and assisted living in Marksville for well over 20 years and I had found this story I'd read it years ago but it just hit me like a thorn this week and I just thought man I gotta share this with my whiskers this is just too good and it has to do with thanksgiving.

Here we are the Thanksgiving week.

So it's called the blessings of the thorns the blessing of the thorns Sandra felt as low as the heels of her shoes as she pushed against the November cost at the florist shop door. Her life hadn't been easy, like a spring breeze. Then in the fourth month of her second pregnancy, a minor automobile accident stole her ease during Thanksgiving week. She should have delivered a son.

She grieved over her loss as if that weren't enough, her husband's company threatened to transfer dinner sister whose annual holiday. She had coveted call saying she could come. What's worse, Saunders Fran infuriated her by suggesting her grief was a God-given path to maturity that would allow her to empathize with others who suffer. She had no idea what I'm feeling thoughts wander with a shutter Thanksgiving thankful for what she wondered aloud for careless driver. His truck was hardly scratched when he rear-ended her for an airbag that saved her life that took that of her child. Good afternoon. Can I help you, the shop clerk approached and startled her. II made an arrangement standard Sandra for Thanksgiving.

Do you have that you want a beautiful but ordinary or would you like to challenge the day with the customer favorite.

I call the Thanksgiving special as the stop shop clerk.

I'm convinced that flowers tell story.

She said she said are you looking for something that conveys gratitude this Thanksgiving. Well, not exactly. Sandra blurted out in the last five months everything that could have gone wrong has gone well. Sandra regretted her outburst and was surprised in the shop clerk said, I have the perfect arrangement for you and the doors small bell rang in the shop clerk said hi Barbara, limited your order. She politely excused herself and walked toward a small workroom then quickly reappeared caring and arrangement of greenery bows and long stems thorny roses except the ends of the residence were neatly snipped.

There were no flowers, want this box as the clerk's hunger watched for the customer's response was this a joke.

Who would want gross dams with no flowers. She waited for laughter, but neither woman laughed yes please. Barbara replied with an appreciative smile. You'd think after three years of getting the special I wouldn't be so moved by its significance, but I can feel it right here all over again. She said as she gently Tapped her chest standard Sandra. That lady just live with.

She left with no flowers right. I cut off the flowers. That's a special cloth that Thanksgiving thorn banquet. Excuse me Boothbay correct our FFF Pokémon. Now you can't tell me someone is willing to pay for that explain Sandra Barbara came into the shop three years ago feeling very much like you do today explain the clerk she thought she had a very little to be thankful for. She lost her father to cancer.

The business was failing her son was into drugs and she was facing major surgery. That same year, I lost my husband continue the clerk and for the first time in my life, I'd spend the holidays alone. I had no children and no husband, no family nearby integrated debt to allow any travel. So what did you do have some I learned to be thankful for. The thorns canceled the clerk clerk quietly are, as always thank God for the good things in my life and never thought to ask him why those good things happen to me. But when the bad stuff. It did I ever ask took time for me to learn that the dark times are important.

I always enjoy the flowers of life, but it took thorns to show me the beauty of God's comfort you know the Bible says God comforts us and were afflicted. That is to learn to comfort others. Sandra sucked in her breath as she thought about the very thing her friend and tried to tell her I guess the truth is I don't want comfort. I just lost a baby and I'm angry with God. Just then someone else walked in the shop. A feel of the clerk the balding rotund man. My wife said Amanda get our usual Thanksgiving arrangement 12 thorn a long stems, dams left Phil as the clerk handed him she wrapped arrangement from the refrigerator. Those are for your wife, Sandra Downing, do you mind asking me why she wants something that looks like that now. I'm glad you asked. Phil replied four years ago my wife and I nearly divorced after 40 years we are in a real mess with the Lord's grace and guidance. We slog through the problem after problem. He rescued our marriage Jenny here. The clerk told me she kept invasive gross dams to remind her of resentment.

I'll take those 12 long stem thorns please.

She managed to choke out. What did I do I get page 7 the subject already.

He rescued our marriage Jenny here. The clerk told me she kept invasive long-standing roses to remind her of what she learned from thorny times and that was good enough for me. I took home some of those dams, my wife and I decided to label each one for a specific problem and give thanks to him for what the problem taught us as Phil paid the clerk he said the Sandra, I highly recommend the special I don't know if I can be thankful for the thorns of my life. Sandra said the clerk. It's all too fresh. Well, the clerk replied carefully. My experiences show me that thorns make roses precious treasure godly God provincial care. We treasure God provincial care more during troubled times in any other time. Remember, it was a crown of thorns of Jesus war so we might know his love.

Don't resent the thorns. Tears rolled down Sandra's cheeks for the first time since the accident. She loosened her grip on resentment. I'll take those 12 long stem thorns. Please she managed to choke out. I hoped he would said.

The clerk gently I'll have them ready in a minute thank you. What I owe you, as Sandra nothing said the clerk nothing but a promise to allow God to heal your heart. The first years arrangement is always on me. The clerk smiled and handed a card to sign grid attached. I'll attach this cardio arrangement but maybe like to read it first.

It read. Dear God, I've never thank you for that.

Thorns I have.

Thank you thousand times for my roses but never once for my parts teach me the glory of the cross I bear teach me the value of my thorns show me that I've climbed closer to you along the path of pain.

Show me that through my tears. The color of your rainbow looks much more brilliant.

So wow, getting back to cars and thorns gonna put you right where God wants you on your knees so this Thanksgiving. Maybe you have an uncle who is a thorn or even a child or parent they just put on your knees. I've heard it said God rigged the world so we couldn't do it without it so beside Bob, my good friend sitting across from me and his wonderful wife Lori who help me with the Jesus label. I would get plenty of thorns to share with you but I also have another good friend Peter Rosenberger and honestly Peter your life is like that long stem roses that had seen the you know I love that devotion and it's hard to know how to do this, I was listening to my wife Gracie last night talking to her dear friend of ours to discover that her cancer return allowed Aaron that he cannot leave this Iran is ran out of time for this segment.

Can you hang on for a couple minutes and give me back because actually we want to know what happened since they do not hear from Peter. We hear about your throne thorns 866-34-TRUTH 87884 we come back to today on the Christian car guys that were so blessed to have with us the host of hope for the caregivers here in the Truth Network with us. He has such a story. But along these this idea of giving thanks for the thorns.

I thought Peter would be an amazing gift. We have a article posted a Christian car guy.com that talks about truckers and Tom trauma is a little more. The explanation of what his wife endured and what he is endured and how he ended up being a host of hope for the caregiver Peter when we left you hanging. You were talk about your wife's uncle K African-American women and their gruesome some pretty significant issues of my life has 80 surgeries to her credit that we can kill both legs amputated off of the car exceeded 35 years ago tomorrow and yet she was ministering to this friend of hers who also is no stranger to suffering and is now at her cancer.

Return back and I was listening to them. Training God. Further trial so that they could see him more clearly.

That's pretty grown-up faith and know you got a lot of truckers listen to your show and I just want to take a moment to say thank you to them in this with this article is about that. You guys have on your site is that when my wife was 17 she had. She was driving to visit a friend of hers and between Nashville and Memphis 11 Nashville right now, but between the actual benefits of Interstate 40.

She fell asleep at the wheel the middle of days she does and she said that about that and it was a bad, bad, bad. Rick can be that one resident counted later 200 breaks that she had her body and another car flipped over to Slovene caught on fire and 10 truckers stopped to put the flames out and they they all rush to a burning car do to help this girl that they did not even know none of them judged or none of them ever scolded her saying you know what door would you think and what we can do it. I had to get here.

Why are you here by yourself become stuck.

They simply spoke words of comfort who skews the industry to work say you were here for a way to get you to safety.

Hang on hang on. They call a professional to block 1818 from bid this example of ministry to people and trauma that those truckers presented to to my wife is scared €17 girl bleeding out by the side of the road, but it certainly died burned alive in a car had those he has not been there and call for help that we as Christians come across people in dumpster fires of sin and all kinds of stuff and do we rush to ministry or do we rush to judgment and you know I felt Robbie for me. I have a 0% chance of convicting anybody of sin or changing people's lives. The Holy Spirit is it has 100% success rate of that that I don't but I do have the opportunity to minister to people in their brokenness and I don't think that comes unless you have some thorns in your own take is that I love this thing today that I don't think it's very you don't. We agreed you don't need a seminary degree to be able to minister to people all you have to do is remember these nail scarred hands that reached into your own trauma into your own fire into your own Rick and when you do that that's what you are to be thankful for those things because you realize how much God reached into your life and then equips you to be able to to extend that same grace to others, but it doesn't come without a cost.

It doesn't come without cohorts, but it does come with enormous perspective and grace and of view of God's mercy and love and kindness and compassion that cannot be convinced at this point my life that it cannot be obtained any other way than to walk in those dark places and see his provision in it.

So this is a great topic in Thanksgiving.

Can we be thankful for the brutal things and at the time. It's hard to put that perspectivism is what it's all about it and in God's provisional history has a way of bringing great perspective. Thank you Peter David unison just had the opportunity recently to be more gracious and less judgmental and I'm pretty sure I failed that test dramatically and today's topic is really opened my eyes to my shortcomings in the and give me a clear sign that I got some work today and where. That's the beauty of it, we all do yet you know I can't help but think, in an Peter I know little bit more of your story that Jesus endured this unbelievable amount of pain on the cross. We know that at the debt payments but for a moment, because he was excited about spending eternity with Bob extended eternity with Lori with me later at an end. So we in your own life. I wonder Peter is there been a moment of pain where he showed up and but always got. He did, and since he showed up it was worth enduring the pain will be Newark's one to be able to show you that we have thorns in our pain. We have thorns in your side, but he had thorns in his head and does work for us and and he died for all of that for each of us and he knows all the things that are going on with us and he knows how painful it is and he's extending a nail scarred hand into our our car wrecks and easily slip our scared hand into his cardio that's way it works and and and and so I am. I am grateful for the things I'm grateful for the perspective I i.e. I am in I Bob I'm with you baby on the crash test W if you could fail at it.

I've forgotten more mistakes about people ever make and and yet I see God leaving redemption it. We serve the greatest junk collector. The University collects all of our status. He's a carpenter that doesn't even waste the sawdust and and so that gives me great great comfort as we go through this thing that he is not making all new things. What is making all things new and what it what a great topic today as we go to Thanksgiving, but I had to call in Robbie and and give those truckers are listed just as a collective.

Thank you because I know that a lot of them have stopped along the side of the road to help people with it and 10 truckers 35 years ago tomorrow help my wife.

They saved her life in the process nail you not have this conversation be able to easily serve in West Africa doing ministry. I walked all that because somebody stopped to help. Thank you Peter oh what a blessing.

His felt hope for the caregiver comes on the Truth Network. You can check your purview program guide so that more check your local area and say hey we need the show and Aires is visiting here Peter is a wonderfully gifted house. Thank you Peter God bless. We got so much more thorns in the pain we need your thorn attain 866-34-TRUTH thank you Robbie and and and giving thanks for the thorn in the pain today on the Christian car guy show as we head into this Thanksgiving season. I don't know if you've ever I know that I fall way short of giving God thanks for the thorns in the paint but obviously got to give me this concept for show all week and so I've been thinking that the prints in the paint that I could really give thanks for. But one of the one of the opportunities that we have here with a Christian car guy show that I never really had even got it in my perspective until this week is that there are a lot of folks single moms widows families in crisis have car struggles and I get an opportunity every week to talk to the and they are at this point where they've got a thorn you know I can think of a single mom this morning she up this morning but last week as she talked to me that they lost the heater in their Pacific and it was really cold and she was really really really troubling over how might you get through winter without a heater and I got no money.

I've been out of work and and you know my ex-husband or whatever the situation is obtained. Any child support, and there's no way to go and I don't know how to get this done and and I have an opportunity to hear.

You know the thorn in here the pain of and then, thanks to your donations in your prayers and all sorts of things and I that that particular lady's problem. You know what it cost to fix it seriously. It was $87 so I was she. She had worked herself up.

I can tell you that that that it was really really really difficult to listen to somebody that that is that upset like the world is coming to an end and and and and that's kinda what she was facing her thorn was right there and all that was standing between her and the inner problem was $87 but by the weight y'all donated young people to the Christian car got Jesus labor law, which is their Christian car guy.com and I should point out also the article, the blessing of the thorns. If you want that you want to use it. A devotion for yourself. It's wonderful.

Go get it if you want to hear Peter story about the truck that's there to all that. But the beauty of what I think is really really cool Bob is a guy put it on my heart that every time I talked to one of these ladies, I pray with him and one of the things that he's always given me to pray at the end of the prayer is Jesus please help them know that no matter what they go through you are there with them and I'm so grateful that the curtsy had to reach out to you right is think about what's going on, they've got a thorn in their paint. They do the really really struggling with it and they would not go to the Jesus labor love if they hadn't considered that God had a solution for and then not only an eye, I could just tell you from years of doing this that I all I almost always feel like they appreciate the prayer more than the $86 that's has pretty as an information the Americas. I don't know the whole process that you go through with each and every applicant and everything in the in the really of miles there and then act as you each time Bob as you can imagine, I'm in this position of judging like crazy. It's difficult because a lot of times I'm listening talk about the last six places that tore up their car in this that the other in oh man I mean is an if you're not praying in the midst of all that I know you be getting off stream and got Sam okay Rob that's now how can we move into this.

How can we, but that each one of them is a thorn in the paint in each one of them is an opportunity for these people to feel God's relief so I would really love your thorn in the paint story. It doesn't have to be in paint. It could be something that happened in life, share one on know Bob's got several we've have his wife Laura here and she may have one to share, share one real quick. It shouldn't take but a moment dispense physical pain. I really believe emotional pains much, much, much worse than this, but I can I can relate to this. And because I had some physical pain but I want to hear your story.

866-34-TRUTH 87884. Don't forget that number calling with your story, but I was in the year 2008 I was recovering still from lymphoma and they thought that I had lesions on my brain. So they decided that they were going to do a brain biopsy to know me back and Bob, but I got a bozo cut bait cut my hair right down the middle of my so that meant so they can go in and do this thing and people were laughing because you can picture me with being involved in the middle and him on both sides, but unfortunately when they put the titanium plate back in my head to cover up the hole which when they do they know just you'll know it's about 1/4 size hole when they go to do a brain biopsy. So this this know it's not anything minor and they put this titanium plate. It had a staph infection and that staph infection grew in my head created an abscess or maybe you had an asset abscess in the tooth. Can you imagine wanting your brain.

Well, I can assure you it gets really really really painful, and your brain begins to swell inside your skull and there's no place for it to go and so here I was in just like pain that I can just tell you it's painful. I've had kidney stones. I've had all sorts of stuff, gallstones, and believe me she knew my story.

I'd like crushed like Ike I understand pain at the service level, but there ain't anything that would come close to this know no amount of snow they tried every kind of drug you can imagine while they were trying to prep me for surgery to get me in the operating room, but something happened in the operating room to the previous page and they couldn't get me in and so I'm laying out there waiting to get into emergency surgery so they can get the pressure off my brain and morphine it would matter what they gave me it was nothing and so I am laying there and obviously playing what else can you do in this woman comes in. Her name was Ramona Seachrist and she does tend to be working that day in the waiting room of the and not waiting but that in that place where there holding them for the emergency surgery. She also happened to be my Sunday school class or happened nor she sat there and she held my she didn't say a word.

Chris if you can imagine that would've just echoed like a jackhammer in my head.

She just held my hand a few minutes ago when I talked about a certain amount of pain Jesus endured on the cross.

There was some pain there and tell me some physical pain but the hope that I was given by Ramona Seachrist that they that pain only lasted for a few hours when in the surgery and here I am today, but the comfort is lasted me a lifetime.

She she had exactly when she needed and exactly when you needed that this has been amazingly got that on Angel in your life right at that moment to happy over a hump in their semi times we feel like we need to do something great in astronomical and this and that and then something as simple as just holding your hand was what you needed anything anything more with her brother been a discomfort instead of the comfort now. You know I was just I knew who it was and he knew why it was you know it was like he sent her and and I am with you Robbie, I'm right here with an@needed and imagine that you got a story like that so he wants to calling with yours 866-34-TRUTH 87884 giving thanks for the thorns because right now somebody's listening who's got a thorn and I don't have any idea what to do with. I have trouble. Sharon sometimes because he not talk about Robin my laws there and cannot talk about the thorn that you know was my business. Brandon, Dan and I do it over and over and over and I get the opportunity to share with FedEx and that I saw a man just yesterday that I had shared with his son and Chad Johnson lied into his life in the shallow faith and has opened and in and he said that his then it didn't really work out and that and is then it was still struggling in the same area that the you know when you when you chat when you just try to have someone whether it works or not we need to straddle him maintenance is God tried to help me in and I have a Miller that year that I said in eyes, not you could do success rate.

That's that's the issue. It is just trying to help someone in the region and in turn they have them with their authority in nine-day count 866348788486634 truth.

We want to hear your story.

You got one, now many people be blessed to call 866-34-TRUTH 788 and that the discount fee today on the Christian Car Guy show and you know we've all got them in all sorts of different ways. Your car may have them and I don't know if you've thought about maybe how that thorn in your car has may have been painful but really help you understand some things along the way and maybe brought somebody in your life like Bob or somebody else that help steer you in a God's got this like made formula like in order to get to Robbie needs to have a brain infection. At this point he needs Or whatever it was that he needed to to to begin to help me become the son he wanted me to be. These were things that he was want to do one of the hardest things again physical pain is one thing emotional is another.

And another hardest thing I ever endured. Personally was the night one of my dearest ones, attempted suicide and them knowing that but this person was going to be in a put in another part of the hospital for period of time after that because covalently he does get out of that person also said I don't want to see me and I'll Robbie, because you know him preach at me and you know I'll see you I see the rest of the family that I don't want to see him and another one of my dearest ones, was moving that weekend and I left that event and went over and worked till 1 o'clock the morning helping that person move, and it was like January, so we had no heat. When I got home that night after all that is going on and I worked till one or more until exhausted. I hadn't slept all the night before going through the suicide attempt and here I was, and there was no heat in it was like 20° in the house and there was no time to go get about.

I decided wrap up with blankets were going to bed so I woke up the next morning I wrapped myself up and 40 blankets in every code I could find and I went and made a cup of coffee because we do have power distant heavy and was sit there and usually every morning in my devotions I haven't I have a journal where I love to write down all I'm thankful for and I'm wrapped up in my blanket and I got my cup of coffee and I was like okay God, it's on the gloves are off buddy yet habitat is not as good of a straightforward here.

I'm not very thankful. I am not.

I cannot in good conscience write down. I'm grateful for this will be events of the last 24 hours. Really, no heat is not little you know push the thumb in my eye and I asked I was sitting there and the smoke began to clear of the fight that was going on in the spiritual realms of the did not know all the sudden I remembered a particular orderly. This person had to get blood gas test which is really really painful. You are having to zip to stick artery and this person also didn't deal well with pain so I was terribly terribly worried that this is not gonna go well and God had sent this technician who had spent over an hour rubbing on the on the artery and all to make sure that this would not hurt and I couldn't believe it when that happened.

The person said wow that didn't hurt as bad as that as an IV might be. How could this be love through the mist of the battle between me and got over my thankfulness or lack thereof.

I all of a sudden thought oh you sent that technician 00 and by the way they lived related pass without you let it that the lights and started to come in my brain. Of all the things that he had done that I should be thankful for and oh by the way you wrapped up warm as a cat in this blanket and you got a hot cup of coffee. I mean what else Robbie, you have so much to be thankful for in the middle of the thorns. Amazing how how little we see yeah I I I am just in all I could see was the trees. I had no idea about the forest and I was so angry but I'll never forget that morning. It was a similar thing. I endured a phenomenal amount of emotional pain that God open my eyes to what it really taken place over that. I'll tell you right now. You've been working on me for quite some time have shared something with the UN and we've talked about it today.

I will today is not the day that it steel ways all my heart and you guide me to it and threw it. Linda Pepin made to to really come clean on the sea. She, Linda and us to get it out there and sharing getting in, get it where it needs to be in fully deal with it and everything that a dear friend like you is what it to semi this been through so much and always, always, always find in the positive and been gated found in the positives in it and set several issues that the this particular one under this I'm still struggling and working through in an Chanda come to grips with the best way and the best time to really open and share about it and everything in that it's just really it's really been tough for me but that I want to thank you for your heavenly that have been made along the way.

Well year and I feel like I walk with kings and you're one of that speaks from the heart and always is transparent about what you really feeling and the beauty of it is, you know, I talked to you in the middle of the week and because of your transparent tape because of your heart, because to have friends like you that talk to me. I process and I go to God without constantly like help me with this.

Show me this and to me that such that the beauty of of walking with wonderful people is date they kinda show you God and then you got a chance to work all week or two weeks or three weeks or however long to let him show you, and begin to bring the smoke away because I can assure you Satan is laid down some tremendous fog, for which we can't see through at the at an end. He would do so much to make sure you not see what's actually beautiful there and Anna. We won't know some of it obviously until the to the other side of heaven, but I am certain.

I'm absolutely certain that one of the neatest things that I am going to remember are the people that were there at those moments when just one day this week. There's been some things going on 10. See if through an work. Add in everything – I got a text from a dear friend that I hadn't heard from in quite some time and I thought with a scout wind of it and I caught a minute it took a minute couple calls back and forth before we get a chance to tell and I shared with him and everything and then that should right after I shared with any says well I hate there's been so much put on your plate that if he Manning Hamlet HQ.

He says you've been through so much in an and when he said that it just is lifted being it strengthened me and it reminded me of all the thorns that God help the gal from under my fingernails. Hey there lady and I and a Paul yeah I have had a lot of thorns pulled out a map, and an and it worked out in a very good way and for my friend to remind me of that in this day with you know that at least you quit the handle this thorn in an and that it it really lived in the it is a wonderful thing that our faith is the shield in the Scriptures in Ephesians 6 when you lift your shield of faith, you actually strengthen the whole army.

His associates at all protect only you put those around you. So as you think about this Thanksgiving giving thanks for your thorns may help somebody else raise their shield of faith. Remember slowdown.

Jesus walked to where he went and got Alton in 33 years