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When Giving Thanks is Hard

This week will find people gathered around tables all across the U.S. as they celebrate Thanksgiving. Sure there will be the obligatory saying of grace. Families may even go around the table and share what they are thankful for. Some may even write out their prayers and hang them on a “thankful” tree.

 

But what do you do when giving thanks is hard?

 

Somebody has been isolated from social connections because of Covid so giving thanks may be a bit hard

 

Somebody has recently lost a parent so giving thanks may be a bit hard

 

Somebody has been struggling financially so giving thanks may be a bit hard

 

Somebody’s body is betraying them and is ravaged with disease so giving thanks may be a bit hard

 

But what I’ve come to learn and what the Lord has been especially impressing on my heart all week is Give Thanks Anyhow!

 

Despite what you see. Despite what you feel. Despite what you think. Give thanks anyhow!

 

Because it’s not about what we think, see or feel but about the ONE who deserves our honor, who deserves our adoration, who deserves our praise.

 

When giving thanks is hard, sometimes it requires you to take your eyes off yourself and off your situation and lock your gaze unto His.

 

When giving thanks is hard sometimes you have to deal with the spiritual cataracts so you can “see beyond” and see into the spirit.

 

Sometimes it will require you to humble yourself, recall where He bought you from, what He’s rescued you out of or what He spared you from.

 

Even when giving thanks is hard, the ONE who was, and is and is to come is still worthy. And because He sees and He knows and He cares, He will prod you and prompt you and remind you of just how much He loves you. You’ll hear it in the bird’s song or in the smile of a child. He’ll illuminate and bring back that verse you’ve hidden in your heart at just the right time. And when He does that, it may still be hard to give thanks but you’ll be compelled to do it. Because that’s the thing, praise and giving thanks are sacrificial. Oh yes, it’s going to cost you something.

 

Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Hebrews 13:15

 

In the hard spaces of laying aside pride, convenience, or even hurt and sorrow, GIVE THANKS. It is actually God’s will that you give thanks is all things (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

 

Will it be hard to give thanks sometimes? Yes

Will it cost you something? Yes

But isn’t He worth it? YES!

 

Sometimes the words are hard to come by if you’re hurting but there is help. All you gotta do is turn to His word. Let these verses minister to your heart and may they flow from your lips as you offer up your true thanks giving

 

  • O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto Thee forever. Psalm 30:12
  • {I} Rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God has given unto me. Deuteronomy 26:11
  • Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through Christ Jesus our Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:57
  • O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good. His mercy endureth forever. Psalm 118:29
  • Giving thanks always for all things unto God. Ephesians 5:20
  • Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. Psalm 100:4
  • It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High. Psalm 92:1

 

So with the fruit of your lips, even if it’s but a whisper, release your Thank You Father…….

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

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Will You Be The One?

From afar off He heard their plea, as they cried out, lifting their voices saying, “Jesus, Master have mercy on us!”

 

“Go and show yourselves to the priests,” he replied. And as they obediently heeded the command, they were healed. All ten, suffering from leprosy had their mark of shame removed.

 

Yet one…Just one, when he saw he was healed, returned and with a loud voice glorified God.

 

One.

 

Just one fell down on his face at the Mater’s feet giving Him thanks.

 

The one, a Samaritan thus seemingly the least to return would be the one to come back with thanksgiving on his lips.

 

And while the one had been cleansed physically, upon his return, with thanks on his lips, he was granted another level of healing. As He bowed at the Master’s feet, Jesus declared, “Arise, your faith as made you well.” Again, the leper had already been physically healed in the act of obedience in presenting himself to the priest, but this second encounter with the Master produced additional fruit in the life of the leper. He was made well from the inside out! The leper was restored and it was done so publicly.

 

So, have you returned to tell the Master thank you?

 

Thank you for protecting me from dangers seen and unseen.

 

Thank you Lord for supplying all my needs according to your riches in glory.

 

Thank you Lord that through all the trauma I’ve experienced, I am strong in my body, strong in my mind and strong in spirit.

 

Thank you that when I don’t know what to say, you make intercession to the Father on my behalf.

 

Thank you for presenting me before the Father blameless.

 

Thank you for being my advocate, defending me, petitioning for me and protecting me.

 

Thank you for loving, meaningful relationships.

 

Thank you for not leaving me to my own devices but for correcting me, disciplining me and molding me as to correct my character flaws.

 

Are you like the nine? When they received their healing it is likely they returned to rejoice with their family and friends. After all, they had been excommunicated and would naturally want to reunite with their loved ones. Jesus is making His point CLEAR to you and me when He calls out, not directly to the leper, but speaking so that the onlookers could hear and internalize, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” Luke 17:17-19

 

 

While Jesus isn’t healing us of leprosy today, He is healing our:

~Sickness

~Disease

~Lying

~Anger

~Greed

~Pride

~Selfishness

~Lust

~Malice

~Envy

 

 

And the list goes on and on.

 

One returned.

 

And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. Luke 17:15-16

 

Will you be the one?

 

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies. Psalm 107:1-2

 

 

If you are the one, pray with me.

 

 

Oh most holy and worthy God we come to lift your name on high. Your name that is above all names. You are highly exalted. Yahweh we bow before you. We fall at your feet in surrender with thanks in our hearts and praise on our lips. We thank you for loving us when we didn’t love ourselves. We thank you for shielding us when we knowingly walked into precarious situations. We thank you for delivering us from the hand of the enemy. We thank you that even in our disobedience you still tell us to come to you. We thank you for loving us with an everlasting love. Oh Father, what more can we say? All the glory belongs to you. As we kneel in your presence, our hearts are overcome with the sheer greatness of how truly good you’ve been to us. Let our surrender and our lifestyle of obedience demonstrate how truly grateful we are. We love you Lord. Amen.

 

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!
Happy to connect with these friends Sharon the Good News #DanceWithJesus, Grace & Truth, Faith n’ Friends

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Is God Good All The Time?

I got a text two days ago that said, “God is good all the time”.

 

What a trite, overused expression. We say it rote, without meaning, without really thinking about the statement. It’s just become a part of church lexicon. In fact, even non-believers say it.

 

So it got me to thinking, is God good all the time?

 

Lately, God and I have been having issues. Well, God doesn’t have issues, so let me restate that. Lately I’ve been having issues with God. I’ve had to dig deep and deal with the issue of God not keeping His promises. I’ve had Job-like rants. My flesh and my spirit have been at enmity with one another.

 

All the while, God has been nudging me, gently whispering, “In it all, give thanks”. He’s been speaking, “You may not feel it or see it, but truly I’m working it all together for your good and it’s all good”.

 

So what do we do when we don’t see the good?

 

How do we cope when we don’t feel good?

 

Is it indeed true that God IS good all the time, even when the FACTS present themselves quite the opposite?

 

 

To the oyster, having a foreign object such as a grain of sand lodged in its delicate tissue is NOT good. While the grain of sand may present discomfort, the oyster is able to protect itself by releasing a substance, which coats the irritant, and the result is a precious, valuable pearl. Likewise, in life we will encounter irritants, things that we feel are NOT good. But by the power of the Holy Spirit at work in us, we can release the authority and power residing within us to wrap around life’s irritants to create a valuable testimony. Our testimonies are precious and can help others overcome. And just as one may ooh and ahh over the precious jewels and gems you are wearing, like your pearls, your testimony shines to gives glory to God.

 

“You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your statutes.”

Psalm 119:68

 

Theodicy is the theological assertion that God IS indeed good despite the presence of evil in the world. It is human nature to want to understand WHY an all-loving, all-powerful, just God would allow suffering and evil. God IS absolute in His goodness and there is no evil in Him, yet we are victims or even perpetrators of evil as subjects of a fallen world. But out of His unfailing love and compassion for us, He ensures it all works together for our good. Perhaps the human mind cannot fully appreciate or understand the complexities of this. It even confounds me at times. But when I look back over my life and examine some of my most difficult trials, I can see how God loved me through it and how He caused the events to work for my good. I can see how the situations developed my character, caused me to become more compassionate, prepared me for future life challenges and equipped me assist others.

 

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28

 

Regularly I tell my children, “Look for dirt”. In this, I am telling them to train their eyes to ”SEE” mess, clutter, or dirt that they can clean or pick up instead of just passing by. I want their eyes open and their perception heightened to what is in their physical environment. I don’t want them to be one of those people that just see random items on the floor and walk past them. I want them to be good citizens who proactively take action on what needs to be done.

 

In the same manner, God wants us to attune our spiritual eyes to see. He wants our eyes so trained that we readily see and embrace His good at work in our lives. [bctt tweet=”God doesn’t skimp on doing good toward us.”] But we must have the right perspective in order to see His good. Like I tell my children to “Look for dirt”, He is urging us to “See the good”. And to see His good requires a shift in paradigm, away from seeing with natural eyes to seeing with spiritual eyes.

 

Is God good all the time?

 

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!

Psalm 107:1

 

Even though my flesh doesn’t always agree, my spirit bears witness that indeed He is good.

 

Not only is He inherently good, He wants good for you. And He is willing to do radical things to bring about His good in your life and in mine. He is intentional and purposeful with every single event that has ever occurred in our lives. . He is strategic in ordering events, people and circumstances so that they ultimately work in concert for our good. Seemingly random incidents are woven together in a tapestry that artfully displays the work of His sure and GOOD hand in our lives. And while the patchwork of cutting, stitching and mending can be laborious and sometimes painful, we are left with a beautifully wrought garment that showcases His glory. Hallelujah!

 

Yes, God is good all the time. Let your eyes be illuminated so that your WHOLE body will be full of light, full of the TRUTH that God is good. Yes He is.

 

God is good,

All the time.

And all the time,

God is good.

 

Not merely a trite overused statement, but a confession of truth.

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully.
Happy to connect with these friends sharing the Good News Grace & Truth, Dance With Jesus

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Life Is Fleeting

The antiseptic smell.

 

The incessant beeping of monitors.

 

The constant flurry of scrubs moving back and forth and back and forth.

 

Being in a hospital is quite unnerving. Even walking into the building is like being cloaked in a shroud of darkness. As I have a close relative in the hospital fiercely fighting to live, I am reminded of the fragility of life.

 

My birthday is in less than a week. Each birthday is a reason for me to rejoice, having lived to see another year. Again I am reminded of the fragility of life. My own mother died at 39. I was a freshman in college. I had just seen her as I had gone home for a holiday weekend. Sunday I said my farewell then Friday as I was planning my weekend fun I got an urgent call from my cousin telling me I had to come home again. My school and home were 500 miles apart. I told her I had just left there a few days ago and it wasn’t feasible to be running up and down, back and forth up the East Coast. Again she stated more forcefully that I HAD to come.

 

So I went to the ATM machine, withdrew money, packed a little bag and proceeded to the bus station. Little did I know I that little bag I packed wouldn’t be enough to carry me through staying an entire month. Riding that bus those 500 miles was the longest single event of my life. On that Greyhound I felt mature yet babyish, strong yet fragile as I travelled not knowing what I’d find on the other end.

 

In New York I had a bus transfer with a few hours layover. During the layover was the loneliest I have even felt. Thousands of people moving in and out of Port Authority, and here was a frightened 18 year-old girl, alone, trembling with anxiety at the thought of what awaited at the end of my destination.

 

As I took that final leg, I had an intense argument with God. I guess it was less of an argument and more of a tantrum on my part as God didn’t participate in my rant. I told God I would hate Him forever if He let something happen to my mother. I cursed Him for potentially letting something happen to a mother and her two young children. At the time I had no personal relationship with the Lord. My only connection to Him was going to church on Easter and all that meant to me was the coveted “Easter outfit”. There is an old quote that people often think is scripture though it’s not which says, “God protects children and fools”. Well He certainly protected me, as I didn’t not understand what I was saying and was speaking merely out of hurt and anger.

 

When I arrived at my destination I knew something was amiss. I stepped off the bus and saw my father standing there. I hadn’t talked to my father in a few days. “How did he know I was coming home?”, I thought. He then took me to my grandmother’s house, which again I thought was quite bizarre as it was just after 6:00am. Then they delivered the dreadful news. In fact, my mother had already died when my cousin had called me the first time to tell me I had to come home.

 

My mother who I had just spent the last weekend with.

 

My mother who had been stolen from me by drugs and alcohol, but recently given back was snatched right out of my grasp once again.

 

Why, you do not even know

what will happen tomorrow.

What is your life? You are a mist

that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

James 4:14

 

Here one day, gone tomorrow.

 

Life is fleeting, but a vapor.

 

As such, let us be reminded to:

 

Love deeply

 

Give generously

 

Show compassion

 

Dole out grace liberally

 

Take eye off self

 

I do want to point out, friends, that time is of the essence. There is no time to waste, so don’t complicate your lives unnecessarily. Keep it simple—in marriage, grief, joy, whatever. Even in ordinary things—your daily routines of shopping, and so on. Deal as sparingly as possible with the things the world thrusts on you. This world as you see it is on its way out.

1 Corinthians 7:29-31

 

So as I prepare to celebrate another birthday, I give thanks for LIFE. And out of my gratitude I am prompted to be more loving, more gracious, less impatient and less knit picky.

 

While our days are in short supply, our love should run long.

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

 

Photo Credit: My Dad

Happy to connect with these friends sharing the Good News Purposeful Faith, #LifeGivingLinkup, #TestimonyTuesday

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