It started in the garage. I was tired of the mess and disorganized clutter, so I began moving things around. Five days later garages are clean and organized, the shop is straightened and orderly, and I’ve begun on the master closet. As I finished yesterday’s work I looked with a sense of satisfaction, but also a question, “Why didn’t I do this sooner?”
This morning I awoke at 3:40 am. I’ve gotten into this strange habit of waking up in the middle of the night and as consciousness breaks through, I think to myself, “I bet it is almost…4” and then I look at my watch or clock. Actually, the strangest part is that it doesn’t bother me anymore. I take it as an opportunity to pray and meditate on all God has done or shown me. A lot of times scripture comes to mind, and I just sit in that.
This morning was particularly rich. Immediately, I was aware it was Thanksgiving Day, and I could not contain my thankfulness to the LORD for the life He has blessed me with. Jesus’ words recorded by the apostle John came to mind,
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” John 10:10
I have experienced that. My prayer and meditation then moved onto the people in my life and how thankful I am for them. From my beloved Lisa to our youngest grandchild Liam and all the family in between. As I thought of each person, I could not help but see how much richer my life is because of them. As I thought of our daughter-in-law, Jordan, the words “Godsend” came to mind, and I was filled praise and thanksgiving to the Father for her in our life.
Interestingly, for a number of the people that came to mind, the pictures that I remembered were in the midst of difficulty. For Rhiannon, the picture came when Lisa shattered her leg and Rhiannon took an immediate leave at work and rushed to be with her Mom and I during that first difficult week. She dropped everything to serve and love on her Mom.
Every member of our family and extended family came to mind and I had mental pictures of each person and I was thankful. But the Lord has blessed beyond that. Forrest and Emily and their family who have been serving in another country came to mind. My thanksgiving for them was mixed with a prayer for them to find “people of peace” who would be open to the Gospel. I am thankful for persons who respond to God’s call and do the vital work I cannot physically do, but that I can partner with in seeing this full life shared others.
And then there is you, the one reading this blog. I am thankful for you. I felt prompted by the LORD to share my journey through cancer. I’ve blogged in the past, but not much in the past three years. Now that I am writing again, I feel inspired and engaged. While my heart’s desire is that these words encourage you, I can assure you, your comments encourage me. For the second time in less than 24 hours I wonder, “Why didn’t I do this sooner?”
One other thought came to me as I finished focusing a healthy portion of my “spare time” to cleaning and organizing was that this was nice and satisfying in an anal-retentive way, but NOT fulfilling.
This morning, as I mentally went through the faces of family and friends and I thought of the blessing each person is, I couldn’t contain the joy it brought. Thankfulness flowed into joy which morphed into repeated praise to the One who has brought these people into my life. It was a cycle that went like this – thinking of a specific person, being thankful for them, giving thanks to the LORD, sensing joy rise a little more, thinking of the next person, being thankful for them, giving thanks to the LORD and having the joy tank filled a little more and… well you get the picture. I may have at the very beginning given thanks for the home we have (and the good food we are going to be eating later today), but that was ONLY the prelude. The blessing and the ever-increasing joy came as I thought of the people God has placed in my life. When Jesus gives us life to the full, it is predominantly the relationships He places in our lives, beginning with our relationship with Him, that make it full.
My friend, take time today to rest with a thankful heart. Being thankful is a good thing. Expressing thanks to others is an even better thing. Living in a state of gratitude to the One who loves us with an enduring, everlasting love and who gives us life to the full is the best thing.
BTW, if we do the best thing, we can’t help but do the good and better thing.
Be blessed and be a blessing!
areliablefaith 