Tag Archives: thankfulness

Joy Unspeakable

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I think when most people hear the word “joy” they think of those moments when we are, as Elizabeth Bennet so beautifully puts it in the movie “Pride and Prejudice”, incandescently happy. Joy is happiness that wells up and spills over. Those celebration moments that we’ll remember forever, the mountaintop experiences that make us pause to soak in, gasp in wonder, or give a deep sigh of contentment…those are moments of joy.

The standout moments in life that covered me in the heart-bursting, gold-sparkling, warm, fuzzy, happiness type of joy are when I walked the aisle with my dad toward my love and when each of our babies was born and we heard “it’s a girl!” for each one.

I had an experience of overwhelming peace and love one summer in the San Bernandino mountains, alone with God by a creek, laying on a rock in the sun. I can’t describe how close I felt to God that day, like I was laying right in the palm of His hand.

I couldn’t even cry the day our oldest daughter got married because I was so full of happiness and love I thought my heart would burst. And if you know me, that’s saying something. It doesn’t take much to make me cry.

Those were definitely joy unspeakable moments.

As I’ve walked this path called life, particularly the path beside and behind Jesus, I’ve learned there is another side of joy. I would not have guessed when I was young that joy would often be accompanied by, or preceded by, sorrow and pain.

Sitting in a waiting room after getting a cancer diagnosis, heart beating hard, mind racing, God gave me a vision of Him standing on a path lined with grass that curved off into the distance. He stood turning to look back with a hand reaching out to me as if to say, “Come on. I’m going with you.” A golden sun shone so brightly behind Him all I could see was His silhouette. Peace washed over me and I remembered I belong to Him. He sees me, He cares. I’m not alone. Joy.  (Even now as I remember and picture it I’m comforted)

I’ve heard stories of a family gathered in a hospital room praying together, holding one another, singing hymns while they surround one they love who is peacefully, sometimes even eagerly, reaching for Jesus and going to heaven. In the deep shadow of hurt and loss, a faint light grows when they think of their loved one finally home where they belong, completely whole and with God. They are thankful this person lived, thankful for all the memories, so thankful the one they loved knew the Savior and they will be reunited with them one day. Even amidst sobs they thank God and have joy.

Joy is born in thankfulness. It is knowing you belong to God, the affirmation that because You are His He loves you, will never forget you or leave you, and is right with you ALL the time, no matter what. Belonging. Love. Hope. Joy.

Joy gradually emerges in surrender and sacrifice when things turn out differently than you hoped or dreamed, but instead of falling into bitterness you turn to Jesus. You are willing to give in and remind yourself you’re not in control, you’re not God, but You know Him and He IS in control…and He is good. You yield, you surrender to God’s ways, you trust and thank Him anyway. Joy.

Remember Stephen, the martyr? He practically exploded with truth when he testified to the Jewish leaders who rejected Jesus. They tried to silence Him by killing his body. But as Stephen’s heart stretched to bursting with love and worship, he seemed to ignore the rocks bruising and cutting him as he looked up toward the sky and exclaimed, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man seated at the right hand of God!” He was captivated by the truth and by His Savior. Even in his painful death, He had joy.

I’m still learning about joy: genuine, rich, enduring, deep-from-the-gut-and-soul joy that comes from choosing to walk with God in gratitude whatever the circumstance.

There have been hard, sad times in the past, are some now, and will be some to come. In those times we can’t rely on our emotions, but on what we know. My husband and I can agree that we know God loves us, He cares, He has always been faithful to us, He will make a way and He has given us so much to be thankful for.

We may not always feel like dancing or shouting or even smiling, but we thank God and trust Him…

and so we have joy.

“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:4,6-7 NLT

 

I’m so glad I have problems

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rocky pathThe path we walk when we follow Jesus has potholes. This isn’t a complaint, it’s just the truth. The path is not a wide, paved, beautifully landscaped street but more like a rocky, narrow, twisting, sometimes harrowing trail that is downright difficult to walk at times. It will push us to our limits and beyond, test our resolve, even bring us pain. There are times we might even question, “why did I agree to come this way?”

Jesus never said it would be a stroll in the park, but He did say not to lose heart when we we’re having trouble because He’s overcome the world. (John 16:33) Following someone who’s overcome the world – pretty good credentials, don’t you think?

I’ve lived long enough to be able to look back and see that the path we’ve covered so far has made my faith stronger, though sometimes it takes me a minute (or more) to remember that when I’m in the middle of tough terrain.

James said we should actually be glad in our troubles, because of what they do for us. “When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” (James 1:2-4 NLT)

It’s one thing to persevere through hard times, it’s another to actually be glad about them. If I say to someone, “I’m so glad I’m dealing with this difficult person and that they’re hurting me,” they’d probably look at me like I had two heads. But God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, His ways are not our ways. There’s no doubt about that. He doesn’t allow us to have difficulties just so He can show He’s bigger than we are, or just to have us grovel at His feet needing help. Each problem has a purpose: to make us more like Jesus and to witness to God’s goodness and glory.

Before a potter shapes clay or even puts it on the pottery wheel, he pounds it and throws it down numerous times on the table to work out any air bubbles that might be inside and would later be a problem. Before precious metals are formed into valuable objects of beauty, the refiner heats the silver or gold to melting (over 1800 degrees fahrenheit!) and then skims off the impurities as they rise to the surface.

In both cases, the creator is present and personally involved through the whole process.

Feeling like you’re taking a pounding? Or being melted down in a crucible, completely helpless? Sometimes our faith feels like a rubber band that is stretched so tightly it might break. The thought of trusting God one more day is exhausting, and then He asks us to trust another day after that.

Can we praise Him anyway? Can we trust Him? Can we remind ourselves of all He’s done for us in the past? Does knowing He promised He will bring good out of everything for those who love him help us surrender? Some days I enthusiastically answer “Yes!” Some days I have to confess to Jesus that I don’t have the strength on my own, I need Him to help me to believe. Praising Him raises our gaze to Him again and helps. It truly helps. We can have peace that steadies our weak legs and can make it through.

I tried to express this to a friend who was losing someone she loved. It felt almost insensitive to encourage someone to thank God in everything when their troubles are so personal, so deeply painful. How do you tell someone to be glad that they’re having to deal with that? The act of giving thanks in difficulty is part of the refining process. That decision alone can be excruciating.

All I know is that God proves Himself loving and good when we give in and praise Him even in that kind of loss. He shows understanding and compassion. He knows the deepest places of our hearts. It was too hard for my friend, but I still pray God will show her how much He loves her and that she can trust Him.

The end result of trusting God and even thanking Him through troubles is worth the pain. I don’t want to stay the same, do you? I don’t want to walk an easy path if it’s without Jesus. If problems help refine me, then I’m glad I have them. I will try to remember to thank God when they come. I want to grow and reach my goal: to be with God forever and ever, without blemish or fault, without any more struggle with this world or myself…free and home.

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. (I Peter 1:6-7 NLT)

Thankful Thursday is back!

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My sister reminded me about Thankful Thursdays, something we used to do, and I think it needs to be resurrected!  The more I learn about and practice  thankfulness, the more valuable it reveals itself to be.

Thankfulness has the power to crowd out complaints, fear, distrust, worry, and more from the human heart.  When I thank God for something, I acknowledge that He’s the one who gives every thing to me.  When I thank Him for a tough lesson or hard time it walks me closer to acceptance and then peace in the midst of enduring and perservering.

So, what am I thankful for today? It would take too many pages to list it all.  Today I thank God for my coworkers. 

God has placed me in an office with many fun, smart, hard-working people (mostly women) and we make a good team.

Now that I’ve been there a year, I’m getting to know them better and realize some of my best friends are these that I spend 8 hours a day with.  What a blessing!  I know from experience that working with women can be not so fun, catty, and/or full of drama but it’s not that way among my little team at work.  That is definitely something to be thankful for!

So, thank you, God for the people you’ve introduced me to at the ENT office. Love them through me.  Hear their prayers and help them in the troubles and challenges many of them face.  Thank you!

Thankfulness = Trust?

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What has the power to turn a heart’s gaze to hope, peel away a complaining attitude, and open the door for peace?

Thankfulness.

Being thankful shows self-pity the door and gives contentment the best seat in the house.

Even in the most meager, terrible, or desperate circumstances we can choose to be thankful for something…even everything.

When I read the book “The Hiding Place” about Betsy and Corrie Ten Boom’s experience in a Nazi concentration camp during the holocaust, I was moved and humbled by Betsy’s constant thankfulness.  In the face of cruelty and horrendous day-to-day living conditions, she kept her face turned toward Jesus in hope.  She didn’t complain but instead kept thanking God for everything, much to the amazement of her sister Corrie, who admitted sometimes she wondered if her sister was from another planet.

One particular situation stands out in my memory:   Continue reading →

My Soul Magnifies the Lord

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I have been listening to Chris Tomlin’s Christmas album from last year the last few mornings as I drive to work.  It has lifted my heart and drawn me close to God in praise.  It seems whenever I hear Chris lead worship, especially live recordings, I am ushered right into God’s embrace.  He is gifted and humble and I’m thankful for him and his ministry.

Anyway, this morning one song really stuck out to me and resonated in my heart.  “My soul, my soul magnifies the Lord…He has done great things for me, great things for me!” Those words of Mary’s spontaneous outpouring of wonder and gratefulness when she learned of how God planned to include her in the greatest event of all time became a cry of my own heart as I really listened to them and thought about them.  God HAS done great things for me, for us, for everyone.  When I’m caught up in awe and thankfulness, my soul responds like I imagine Mary’s must have.

What does it mean to magnify?  Continue reading →

“Thou Shalt be Thankful” Thursday

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I think on Thursdays I’ll post thankful stuff.  How does that sound?  Care to join me?  It never hurts to remember to be thankful.  It sure turns the heart around like nothing else.

I heard on the radio this morning that women tend to complain more than men, almost 3 times as much.  Really??  One of my friends joked that information probably came from a man.  Maybe it’s just because women are more verbal.  I’d like to think that anyway!  It was a good little wake-up call for me today, however.  I want to spend the day without complaining – not once.

My parents were a lot of fun and I remember, particularly during meals, if one of us complained they said we could cook dinner from now on.   When we heard that we’d say, as convincingly as possible, “Oh, what I meant to say is that this dinner is delicious – exactly how I like it!  Thanks, Mom!”

I remember singing a little Bible verse song written by Steve Green with our girls when they were little, “Do everything without complaining.  Do everything without arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure children of God.”  They just loved it when I did that and it helped for about 15 minutes.

Everything?  Without whining or complaining?  That’s tough.   Sometimes complaints just kind of come out without me realizing I’m complaining.  It seems to be the opposite of thankfulness, so maybe that’s why God gave that guideline.  Complaining is a way of saying “What you gave me is less than what I want or entirely NOT what I want.”

Thankful Thursday has begun.  Maybe if I practice this no complaining, being thankful thing enough it will cross over to the other days, too.

What are you thankful for, right now, today?

Do everything without complaining and arguing, 15 so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.  Philippians 2:14-15  NLT

A week of giving thanks

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I decided this morning that I need to focus more on gratitude and being content with all that God has given me – easy or difficult, what I thought was coming and what I didn’t expect, what I dream of and what I dread, what energizes me and what drains me.  It’s all allowed into my life through His good, loving hands and so I must be thankful and content.  I’m going to thank Him in a different way each day for a week here on my blog.  If you have any ideas send them to me!   Feel free to join me in this week-long experiment.

Today I’ll make a list from A-Z.  Continue reading →

Day 19 – A time to praise

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1 For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
2 A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
3 A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
4 A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
5 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
6 A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
7 A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
8 A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.  Ecclesiastes 3:1-8  NLT

One activity is missing from that list:  Praise.  Maybe it’s because it is always the time to praise, no matter what else is happening, no matter what other time it is or what other activity is right for that time.  There’s something about praise that changes the heart’s attitude, that lifts the spirit, that centers our utmost self and settles us.

This morning as I went to work my heart was heavy, like a big, dripping wet towel.  The weight of fear, anxiety and sadness seemed to even weigh me down physically.  I took deep breaths and sighs, felt like I was a little piece of lead sitting in my desk chair.  It was an effort to smile and greet my co-workers and people in the building.  My dear friend, Jenene, asked if I wanted to go to lunch with her and I agreed.  She is a patient, loving, listening friend and let me splutter and spurt my frustration, hurts and bewilderment all over her.   As I did the pressure lifted.  All that pent up “stuff” coming out of my heart made room for peace and a sense of “ahhhhh.”  I remembered not to take everything quite so seriously.  I remembered that God is in control, that what I face is not different from just about everyone else, and that I wasn’t alone in any sense of the word.  My heart decided that it’s a time to praise.

I praise God for:

  • Showing me in a few small ways that He is at work.  When I can’t see what He’s doing I start thinking He’s forgotten or is taking too long or got busy helping someone else.  When I start thinking that, God says “now is a time to wake up and have faith!”
  • Giving me some quality time with my youngest making muffins and talking after supper.
  • For reminding me as I woke up this morning that His mercy is new every morning and that I need to give my daughter a clean start each day, too.
  • For the beee-you-ti-ful sunshine and warm air today!  I actually drove home with my window open.  Now that is awesome.
  • For quiet time this evening with no TV, no noise.
  • For a good jog and the legs to carry me.
  • For my family, home, pets, stuff, job, and everything else that makes this earthly life tick.  Thank you, God!
  • For God’s amazing goodness, purity, unchanging nature, strength and wisdom, power and might, artistic ability and imagination.  There is no one like Him!
  • For music to sing along with.
  • For my sister and mom and the fun phone conversations we have.
  • For possibilities.
  • For a boss who, when giving a reference, was a true advocate for me and my hubby and almost threatened to cause a ruckus if we were knowingly welcomed into an unhealthy situation.   I’m blessed to have a boss who is also a really good friend.
  • For coconut cream Easter eggs, as sugary and fattening as they may be.  They are a little piece of heavenly cloud floated down to earth and put into a little white cardboard box.
  • For hope in knowing my life is in God’s hands and I have nothing to fear.

Applause, everyone. Bravo, bravissimo! Shout God-songs at the top of your lungs!
God Most High is stunning,
astride land and ocean…
Loud cheers as God climbs the mountain,
a ram’s horn blast at the summit.
Sing songs to God, sing out!
Sing to our King, sing praise!
He’s Lord over earth,
so sing your best songs to God.
God is Lord of godless nations—
sovereign, he’s King of the mountain.
Princes from all over are gathered,
people of Abraham’s God.
The powers of earth are God’s—
he soars over all.        – Psalm 47  The Msg