“If I can’t give thanks, trust, and worship the Lord in every “season,” in the face of any set of facts which may touch my life, I am not really a believer. It is here, in my corner of God’s earth, that I am assigned my lessons in the School of Faith.” Elisabeth Elliot
We can misjudge life sometimes and totally miss the divine opportunities wrapped up in the unplanned and unappreciated moments. Blessing God for the blessings disguised as curses. Gifts misunderstood. Is hard. And the harsh reality is, I don’t believe they are blessings, I don’t believe that God is a good gift giver who loves me. And I forget the greatest misunderstood curse the world has ever known, Love crucified.
I am one of those people that constantly has to reign in her feelings. Always reminding myself that although life may not always be in my control I am in control of how I choose to handle it, and really is it ever in my control? Sure, I make decisions and sometimes things go my pretty little way and I reason I am in control but reality is He is the one who is in control.
Thank you God.
Right?
Right.
And this is why I can relax, embrace the moment, and count it all joy. Not just giving thanks, but living thanks. This incarnate act of blessing, praising, worshiping, and trusting God at all times, because all of life is a gift. Every season. The beautiful and the misunderstood ugly. I am learning to bless God for every moment that touches my life, even the ones that I simply cannot understand in the current for I am just a child in need of divine guidance. In these moments I want to choose to trust His knowledge and timing and simply have faith that He is who He says He is and believe He loves me beyond all reckoning. It is there that my trust lives. In His love for me.
And that is why I, we, can choose to Count it all Joy and give thanks for every good and perfect gift He gives, the unplanned and uncertain because really, is there such a thing?
You are loved.
I am thankful for the hard lessons, the hard thanks, and the misunderstood gifts in my life.
Thank you Lord for all of these misunderstood, hidden gifts that touched my life this week.
- When our new-to-us van broke down. 45 mph in the fast lane, flashers on, a humbling lesson of learning to slow to see.
- That moment I realized I forgot my wallet at home after I already made it to the store and was already late for a play-date with friends. An opportunity to choose patience and trust Him. A chance to be an example to my children.
- When the test results came back, high cholesterol and blood pressure. A reminder of the eternal perspective of these temples and a wakeup call in living healthy.
- Every moment my children have struggled to make good decisions, frustrating moments but all opportunities to give them your beauty and truth, to show them your love and grace.
- When strong words came unexpected, feelings swirling. A reminder that all is grace and that life is too short to get caught up in them. Love always wins.
Thanksgiving is a time when we all take time to reflect on the act of giving thanks. It is the act of blessing, praising, worshiping, and trusting God in every season. It is counting it ALL joy. The understood and the misunderstood gifts because our Father in heaven is a good gift giver. They may be hidden, so unwrap the hard moments to find the joy of the Giver.
“Count it all joy my brothers when you meet trials of various kinds.” James 1:2
Yes, Kelli- with you in the big, ugly, beautiful, divine school of His grace- learning to count it all joy! Sweet post.
Such a beautiful perspective here my friend! Have a blessed Thanksgiving.