December sky over Quail Springs Mall
Thankful, Thankful, Thankful
I say it over again and again in my head, trying to focus on those words, those blessings.
Yet the longer I live, the more pain I see in a fallen world and experience in my own life.
And the easier it is to lose sight of the blessings.
I now know why God says take one day at a time. In the past I didn’t dispute it, but dismissed it as ancient words of wisdom— not a problem to deal with in my young, relatively pain-free life. The future looked bright and promising, why worry?
Now life is different—richer and fuller. But in the richness of the blessings are the fuel for hurt and pain. As my mind stretches ahead to tomorrow and next week and next year and the next,
I think of my beloved family,
I think of my increasingly dangerous world,
And my stomach clenches and I feel sick with worry.
Desperation tries to take root.
And as I fall to my knees,
I remember this truth which begins to make more sense than ever before.
TAKE TODAY ONLY, no more, no less.
So I shut my eyes dark and breathe life
And exhale the stress.
And tell myself s-l-o-o-o-o-w
And steady.
Focus on today
Look for the blessings
They are all around me.
If I’m unwilling to be thankful, when darkness surrounds me and the light is dim–I turn my back on his promises and refuse to believe he is who he says he is.
So who IS he?
The Prince of Peace, our peace forever. Ephesians 2:14
The Savior of my Soul. John 3:16
My Protecter. Psalms 121:1
Lord of all. Acts 10:36
Light of the world. John 8:12,
My guide. Psalms 48:14
Shepherd of my soul. 1Peter 2:25,
My strength and refuge. Jeremiah 16:19
Faithful and true. Revelation 19:11
And I realize—what I refuse to thank God for, I refuse to believe he can make whole.
So—
When the canyon yawns deep and cruel wide,
When the earth quakes my core,
And the quicksand threatens to suck me deep,
I remember— Thankful, Thankful, Thankful.
When pain is an addiction we have lived with too long.
When it becomes like the old dysfunctional friend that we don’t know how to break ties with,
I whisper, Thankful, Thankful, Thankful.
And I realize the outstretched hand of God is the only thing standing between me and despair.
If I trust in the name of the Lord
I will never walk alone,
His blessings will never cease.
And his holy spirit within me will help me–
Do what I need to do,
Say what I need to say,
Be who I need to be,
Broken but strangely whole.
***************
Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble its own.
-Pray for peace in your soul.
-Write this verse on a notecard and place it on your mirror as a reminder.