Waves of gratitude

Sometimes, waves of gratitude just sweep over me. I feel so privileged to have a man I love; to live on the farm and all that accompanies it, from chickens to the garden; to have meaningful work on campus (with a decent boss); to have a meaningful goal in the graduate program; and freelance assignments that suit my interests. How can I say that God has been good to me - I've had some rather rough patches in my life - but how can I say anything else?

I was involved in a rather heated discussion in a class on Emily Dickinson involving her apparent rejection of Christianity; to me, her reasons sound like a spoilt child who isn't receiving an exact answer to her prayer, therefore, God doesn't exist. But she led a sheltered life and wrote her poetry (and she did praise her "muse" - who does she think gave her that gift of poetry?) - and it seems to me like a petulant child who doesn't get the candy she asked for. (I acknowledge I'm probably over speaking this, and fans of the reclusive virgin of Amherst will be offended.)

The Evangelicals have a saying "God can write straight with crooked lines" - in other words, God can make good of our mistakes. I feel so strongly that God is making straight of my crooked mistakes, that I cannot but acknowledge this.