Thankful In All Circumstances

Wednesday, November 3, 2021

Thankful…in All Circumstances

Nikki Pettitt Castaldi

Psalm 118:6 “The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.”

Today I am THANKFUL! A year ago…not so much. Now for the backstory that got me here. You see, in 2018 I was on top of the world. I had an awesome family and a dream job. My life was going pretty well. Then a big bomb dropped. A bomb that rocked my world! It all started in early 2018, when my daddy went in the hospital. He was 77 and his old body was just giving out. He could not handle the ailments being thrown at him. After 100 days, we had to let him go. Saying “goodbye” to my daddy was so hard. Not just hard on me, but everyone. My son, Shayne, took it harder than anyone did. Speaking of Shayne, he was already a drinker. He was already dipping his feet into drug use. Stirring grief in the pot made it boil over. The next few months were brutal. He made some choices that, well, landed him in some trouble. My baby, my rainbow baby, how could he do these things. I stood by him. I held him up. I fought for him. I never thought I would visit my child in rehab; but there we were. Many prayers. Many, many prayers were prayed over my son. He was getting better. Had a great new job. Then comes the alcohol, again. In July of 2019, Shayne took his own life. I will NEVER forget that feeling. That moment time stopped. That moment I quit living. Everyday is a fight. A fight for freedom from grief, a fight for my remaining child. We will never be the same.

How could I be thankful after that? One word, Jesus. He carried us through our valleys. Shayne was my perfect child. Hear me out… lol In scripture, seven often symbolizes completion or perfection. When he was born, he weighed 7 pounds and 7 ounces. He died on July 7, 2019. It was on 7-7. I believe God was talking right to me. He was telling me, it was His perfect timing. I TRUST in God. I BELIEVE in God. I HONOR God. PSALM 118:6 says “The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.” How could I deny God in my life? He has always been there.

So today, in 2021, I am THANKFUL. Thankful for my family, my life, my new job, and especially my God. He never fails.

Dear Lord,

I thank you for today. I thank you for the opportunity to share my story. To show how wonderful you are. How you stood by me in my darkest times, not knowing if I had enough strength to live, you knew. Lord, I pray for everyone reading this right now. May they use this story as tool to help someone who is in a dark place and without hope. Lord please help those who are sick. I pray for the ones who are without you in their life. In Jesus’s most precious and holy name I pray, Amen