Thanksgivings. . . .
Thanksgiving. . .
Psalm 95:2-5 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. for the Lord is the great God, and the great King above all gods. In His hand are the deep places of the earth; the heights of the hills are His also. The sea is His, for He made it; and His hands formed the dry land.
Psalm 100:2-5 Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves, we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him and bless His name. For the Lord is good; and His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.
Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Do you give thanks everyday for at least one or two things? Do you find your too hurried and stressed sometimes to acknowledge the good around you? I used to take so much for granted. Now I find more than anything, I am humbled by all the wonderful blessings around, for and with me.
There is so much to be thankful, and trust me I know this has been one of the most difficult years any of us have lived. It has been awkward, tense, stressful, and tearful, lonely, and uncertain. My heart has hurt for the many families who have lost loved ones this year, and had to be separated from them during their illness and hospitalization. As a nurse, that was one of my rewarding times, to be with a patient and the family as the person passed. I knew I was a comfort to all at those times. This pandemic has made that impossible often this year, and I can’t help but wonder if those left behind agonize that they were not with their loved one, and that their family member died alone, and felt alone and abandoned. Such feelings must feel even larger and darker if one does not believe in an afterlife, heaven, and knowing God’s comfort.
Never have we lived in a time when the news can be delivered so immediately. In 1918, during the last pandemic, newspapers and telegrams and word of mouth were the means of passing news forward. Now we are enveloped with constant stress of hearing the numbers, the stats, the deaths, and on and on. Thankfully, I know where the power button is on my devices.
I won’t say I don’t question things in my life, and spurts of worry don’t try to get me upset, but I know I am not in charge, that God has a specific plan, and although I don’t know how each day with start and end, I am good most of the time with His plan. I sometimes have to remind myself I am not in charge, and that whatever comes my way will be okay. I know His promises, even though I don’t know the entire plan. My ability to level easier than I used to, comes about because I know and trust Him and His plan for me. I am not in charge.
I live at the beach, so I get awesome views of God’s creations, be it the sea, the waves gently lapping and enticing, or their anger and dominance and power; or the blessing of dolphins hunting and feeding, or just leaping and seemingly playing; occasionally I get to see a whale swimming about in the winter months. But I frequently enjoy blue skies, birds running about on the beach, always scurrying here and there, pelicans just gliding over the houses, close enough to almost skim their bellies or so it seems, and this year for several weeks I was blessed with the presence of painted buntings—a pair and they had three young, I think, maybe four; it looked like two females and two young males.
I prefer to take stock of the good, the beauty, the gifts, the friends and family, my health, and all the other gifts He has granted me. And most especially, I am blessed He chose me, and I was wise enough to choose Him back. Yes, Lord, I will follow you.
I am writing this a few days before Thanksgiving, and I wonder if 2021 will bring more stress and unrest, fear and apprehension, and illness, and death, or if things will improve. I believe God is calling us to return and repent. He wants us, ALL of us. He wants our hearts, thoughts, and being to be His. And He blesses those who follow. It is not always easy, or always without difficulty, stress, loss or hurt. You don’t get to not have difficulty and hardships just because you love and follow Him. Life and its events are still there to be dealt with, and sometimes they are painful, scary, frustrating, and feel overwhelming. It is not a cake walk just because you love and follow Jesus. But no matter what happens, you have the confidence and surety of the promise that He is always with you, and when your life here ends, you will be in heaven. And that is an awesome, reassuring blessing and confidence to have.
Lord, I praise and thank You for the many and varied blessings You show me each day. I love You so. You continually deliver daily blessings to me and ‘mybellaviews.’
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