My sweet cyber-friend Conny has faithfully hosted 30 Days of Thanks again this year. And I thought I would be able to participate whole-heartedly with her. However, it seems life (and surely some Self) has gotten in the way of this good thing. Somewhat like Michelle, several of my reasons have arms and legs which need clean clothes and stomachs which need filling. And for a week my hubby lovingly declared an internet fast. And so it goes. Life is busy and distracting. And stressful even.
I am thankful my God knows. He knows my few strengths and my abundant weaknesses. He knows my heart’s desires ~ He longs to have them match up with His. He knows how best to mold me into who He wants me to be. If I will but let Him. And so I want to be thankful for difficult days as well as the beautiful. And I know (if I stop to consider) that others have a greater cross to bear ~ and that each of those trials is designed to draw me closer to the One Who gives me Life.
Lest you think I am in dire straits, let me say that I am just tired and prone to whine when I ought to worship. My “gratitude quotient” isn’t what it ought to be. Reading Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy has been good ~ Now to pursue the 30-day devotional that should prompt more fruit from this new awareness of my need to give thanks to God in all things. (And would have combined nicely with November’s 30 Days of Thanks, but I wasn’t through the book yet…)
Count it all joy!
My Days of Thanks just aren’t finished yet. Feel free to poke me if you don’t see me blogging about God-directed gratitude in the weeks to come. =)By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
Hebrews 13:15
Hello Melanie~ Just wanted to thank you for your kind comment over at the Santos Times. Is that a bean field in your title picture?
ReplyDeleteBeing thankful is hard sometimes. I like what you said about being molded by God. Elisabeth Elliot defines suffering as "Having what we don't want and wanting what we don't have." This can vary by degrees, but to yeild to God's will rather than our own is what I have found to be the key. Now, if I could only stop asking "why" so much. I find myself saying Thank you Lord, but why?...maybe that's not really being thankful.
Didn't mean to ramble. Thank you for your visit, hope to see you again.
Oh, I so understand ... and I hope you get some REST & some fresh perspective & some encouragement from the Lord. You are doing the right things, moving in the right direction. God can & will bless that!!! :) Keep on chugging (current Patch Club song our kids are singing)... :) <3
ReplyDelete"I am just tired and prone to whine when I ought to worship"
ReplyDeleteYou took the words right out of my mouth, so to speak. I've been whining a lot lately. Not out loud, but in my heart... and maybe on my blog.
Thanks for helping me to check my "gratitude quotient." You're a good encourager.