The month of November is finally here. Whenever I think of this month, a few words come to my mind: thankful, blessings, and giving. Thanksgiving is a big holiday in our world. It's a time that we spend with family and friends and give thanks for the things we have. However, thanksgiving is not the only time we can praise the Lord for these blessings. Honestly, it's something we need to do everyday because there is always something to be thankful for. But sometimes, this might be a bit challenging for us depending on our circumstances.

In 1 Samuel 1, there is a man Elkanah. He has two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had children but Hannah was not able to have any. However, her husband still loved her very much. He loved her so much that it did not matter is she could not have children. He loved her for who she was, but Hannah could not even appreciate his love because of how upset she was that she could not have a child.

Because the Lord had closed Hannah's womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. Her husband Elkanah would say to her, "Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don't you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?" - 1 Samuel 1:6-8

Does this sound like a similar situation to you? We get so irritated or upset about something in which we cannot even enjoy the people around us, or the little things that make us happy. Instead of trusting the Lord in these moments, we stress and try to find a way to resolve an issue and by doing this, we miss out on the things around us. We miss out on the joy, the blessings, and the beautiful things God has to offer to our lives.

These certain situations can be major or minor problems. To Hannah, not being able to have children was a major deal, but sometimes, we get upset about minor things that turn into major things. However, what are we called to do in these moments?

Eli answered, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him." - 1 Samuel 1:17

The priest, Eli, told Hannah to go in peace. He basically was like "girl you need to stop worrying about this. Stop being irritated about this problem, and trust the Lord".

Hannah was obedient in this. She went and took care of herself and her husband. She worshiped the Lord, even though her wish still had not come true yet. But, because she obeyed and had trust in the Lord, she had a child named Samuel.

This sounds plain and simple right? However, sometimes, this is a huge challenge for us humans. It's hard to get over major things that irritate or upset us. It takes some time, but it's not impossible. Even in these moments of irritation or bitterness, don't block out all the things around you on this one certain thing.

I don't know what your life may look like at the moment. Whether you are irritated at life or stressed or just doing fine, but find the blessings around you because there are many. Remember that His light can always be found in the darkness, you just have to seek it out.