Yahweh Sisters: God is the Gift this Thanksgiving

Monday, November 28, 2011

God is the Gift this Thanksgiving

Ephesians 5:20

²⁰ always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is to ponder.............shouldn't everyday be Thanksgiving?

As I prepared to host Thanksgiving at my house with the changing of sheets, the scrubbing of bathrooms, the cleaning out refrigerators, tripping over dogs toys, the kids screaming their hungry, husband asking me questions............. my head was spinning me a bit disoriented....................but isn't that the time to give thanks?

Life is pounding hard against me.........a test........not enough hours in the day.

I grab hold of the vacuum cleaner in front of me and it is resentment that traps me.

Four tweens.............17, 16, 14 and 12............who don't lift a finger.

Where is my gratitude? In this mundane living of this race we call life.

Jeremiah 29:11

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Even in the ordinary days of our life..................He has plans for us!

I set out their journals again............encouraging the tweens to join in.

We have to train them to leave their mark of gratitude.

Proverbs 22:6

Start children off on the way they should go,
and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

When we give thanks in everything the good the bad and the ugly..... it turns our eyes towards the King. Being changed is the name of the game. Transformation of the heart is what we need!

I ask myself today........."couldn't everyday be Thanksgiving?"

I scurry to find my gratitude journal.........why did I lose my way?

I start by reading from my gratitude list and water swells within my eyes.....how soon we forget to be Thankful in the everyday!

Help us Lord to see through your eyes........today and everyday.

I stick to the Kitchen floor as I walk past.........(freshly mopped an hour ago)...........it is then that I see the red kool-aid dripping from the frig. Yes I will give thanks that we have kool-aid to drink.

I smile as I wipe up the mess.

Thankfulness should be the very breath that we take.

It is then that I notice that there is blood on the floor from the 16 year old dog.

I murmur it quietly........"please Lord, not now........don't let him die with all my family coming today."

Why do I give thanks only in the good times? Is it; "Selective Faith?"

I rub my hand across the 16 year old dog............and my heart tears. I start the flood of memories from the past. Just a few more days Lord, please.

Why do I "the taker," only hold my hand out to accept the good?

And it's me who prays to be more godly.

And so from this day forward I am making a decree.............to restart my gratitude journal because....."giving thanks in all things paves the road to giddy grace!"

In thanking God for everything that happens to you or to me.......deep wounds begin to heal and gratitude turns this life into blessings. Joy finds it's way into your life after all happiness is only circumstantial. But true Joy is from the Lord.

So move over and let God work His miracles and watch Him turn sorrow into joy.

Through life the heart will continue to ache...........but the ache of the past is eased over and over again by giving THANKS to him in all things!

Thank you Jesus;

for a family who drives to spend thanksgiving with us

for the extra dogs every family brought (all of them around 100 pounds!)

For the peaceful passing of our sweet precious hound.

For advent that is right around the corner

For a pastor who teaches us what absolute surrender really is

For all the help in the kitchen from; my mom and sister-n-law

For nieces and nephews who love

praise and worship at church

finding our gratitude journals