The first week of December is already half way through and I cannot help but keep oozing thankfulness! The week before Thanksgiving my daily email devotional from Proverbs 31 reminded me of why I was doing this 30 days of thankfulness and made me want to continue it. It is a great reminder of the season of thankfulness......
"But
thanks be to God! He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1
Corinthians 15:57 (NIV)
My son
Jackson wrote a paper about the corruption and greed that caused the civil war
in his native land. But Jackson wasn't just explaining a historical event – he
lived in the midst of the horrific conditions of this war. You see, for the
first 13 years of his life, Jackson lived in a forgotten orphanage in the third
world country of Liberia, Africa.
During one
part of the paper, he described what it felt like to be naked digging through
the trash looking for the treasure of thrown-away food.
The treasure
of thrown-away food.
I can hardly
type those words without crying. This is my son.
And yet,
despite the horrific conditions of his childhood, there was an unexplainable
thread of peace woven through his recollection of the story. A powerful peace
centered in the awareness of God's presence.
The truly
thankful person is a truly peaceful person. They have made a habit no matter
what, to notice, pause, and choose.
Noticing
something for which to be thankful no matter their circumstance.
Pausing to
acknowledge this something as a reminder of God's presence.
Choosing to
focus on God's presence until His powerful peace is unleashed.
Will we be a
noticer? A pauser? A chooser? A person of thanksgiving no matter what
circumstance we're facing?
I find this
truth about the power of thanksgiving over and over in Scripture. What was the
prayer Daniel prayed right before being thrown in the lion's den and witnessing
God miraculously shutting the lion's mouths? Thanksgiving.
After three
days in the belly of a fish, what was the cry of Jonah's heart right before he
was finally delivered onto dry land? Thanksgiving.
How are we
instructed to pray in Philippians 4:6 when we feel anxious? With thanksgiving.
And what is
the outcome of each of these situations where thanksgiving is proclaimed?
Peace.
Powerful,
unexplainable, uncontainable peace.
"And
the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts
and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7 NIV).
One of Webster's official
definitions of thanksgiving is: "a public acknowledgment or celebration of
divine goodness."
I wonder how
we might celebrate God's divine goodness today.
I wonder
what might happen if we decide in the midst of our circumstances today to
notice, pause, and choose something for which we can truly be thankful.
Dear Lord, will You help me
notice things for which I can be thankful in each circumstance I face today?
Will You help me remember to pause and acknowledge this as evidence of Your
presence? And will You help me remember to choose to focus on Your presence
until Your powerful peace rushes into my heart and helps me see everything more
clearly? Thank You for the reality that being thankful changes everything. In
Jesus' Name, Amen.
This is it! A reminder to be thankful always, not just in November or around Thanksgiving! I want to be a noticer, a pauser, a chooser - a person of thanksgiving no matter the circumstance, day or season it is! This is the pulling on my heart right now - this is what I want to strive for. So I'm going to be thankful... always.
I'm not saying I'm going to keep posting a thankfulness post everyday - but I want this blog to be filled with thanksgiving. I want you to be able to read here and feel God's presence in my heart as I write to be full of thanks and noticing my blessings surrounding me. Join me! Be a noticer of your blessings throughout December and into the New Year. As the thankfulness posts and statuses fade on facebook and twitter - Keep on! Praying for you :)
