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Giving Thanks



An ancient wise woman, Julian of Norwich said, "The highest form of prayer is to the goodness of God... God only desires that our soul....clings to His goodness. For all of the things our mind can think about God, it is thinking about His goodness that pleases Him most and brings the most profit to the soul."  The gift list is thinking about His goodness - and this, that pleases Him the most.  AND profits our own soul and I am beginning, only beginning to know it.

 If clinging to His goodness is the highest form of prayer, then this seeing His goodness with a pen, with a camera shutter, with a word of thanks, these are the most sacred acts conceivable. The ones anyone can conceive, anywhere, in the midst of anything.

 Ann Voskamp's book 1000 gifts, focuses on giving thanks.  
Echaristo means to "give thanks."  

 Consider this.   The Eucharist, communion, IS thanksgiving......
At anytime, anywhere you can partake.....  In giving thanks, you commune with God.  And God inhabits the praise of His people.

 SO AS I CONTINUE PONDER WHAT ONE THING YOU CAN GIVE THANKS FOR THIS EVENING.

 So what about the "BAD" things???

 I, like you, have thanked God for so many of the good things in my life.  But when was the last time that you thanked Him for what,to us - from our limited perspective, appeared to be the"bad things"  If God is omniscient, omnipresent & omnipotent then don't you think He knows what He's doing? 

 Think of a time that something happened that appeared to be bad, but in retrospect, turned out to be completely "other" than what you expected -good or even great.

 You lost your job, yes, the one you hated, that demanded too much and gave too little.  You struggled through & somehow made it. You saw God do wondrous things with the little you had, your family spent good times just being together, then the call came and the job you'd never even dared to dream of was offered to you.  Was this good or bad?  It is either one or the other but it cannot be both....

 Maybe you didn't get an offer of your dream job, but you lost the house that was sucking you dry & now that you are out from under it you don't have to consider getting a second job and you're now able to pay the rest of your bills AND this new little rental requires less time & energy so you take off for the beach since it's a lovely day.

 How would our perspectives have changed if only we'd have given thanks to begin with?  Maybe we wouldn't have missed some of the blessing in the little things.  Maybe we wouldn't have worried so much or even at all.  Maybe, just maybe, we'd have lived in each moment instead of wishing it away for a tomorrow we weren't guaranteed.  Maybe we'd have gleaned all the goodness of each day, each moment and it wouldn't have been good or bad. It just would have been.  (that is a word for me right there!)

 It's easy to talk finance & stuff but what about when you're staring down the barrel of terminal illness....  Could there possibly be anything good in the midst of such a storm?  Let us see....

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Thanksgiving is an altar upon which we are raised above our circumstance and given an eternal perspective all the while we take in the Glory of the Son.





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Comments

  1. GB JohnJuly 19, 2013 at 9:24 PM

    Wise words. He is deserving of our tnks and praise.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Simple HomeJuly 19, 2013 at 11:04 PM

    Oh, how often I forget to do this. I think you have the makings of a devotional book here my friend :) I've been looking over some of your previous posts. You are a very gifted writer and our loving Savior shines through you and your words.
    Blessings,
    Marcia

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownJuly 20, 2013 at 6:07 AM

    Beautiful words & sentiment, and so very true. I know in my life as I look at what has been the "worst of situations", it's been through them that the Lord has brought the very best or the true desires of my heart. Thanks for sharing this at this very time....this is a reminder of more current "situations" in my life, not only to remember those "altars of remembrances", but also trust what will come out of recent sorrow and loss.

    ReplyDelete
  4. MichelleJuly 20, 2013 at 6:48 AM

    Guilty in the first degree of not living in the moment. Of NOT considering that through the "bad" things God will create GREAT things. So in need of this reminder.

    God's light shines through your brokenness and the prism of His love shines through the cracks in your pitcher so beautifully, it's like a Kaleidoscope of God's love. Smile, my girl. It's the biggest crack you have (well, that we want to see) and that's when He lights up the room. :-)

    ReplyDelete

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