In All Things

We often fail in being thankful for the wonderful blessings God gives us each day.  We tend to concentrate on the difficult moments and fail to see all the delightful moments and gifts He gives us each day.  Yet perhaps we need to take this a step further.  Perhaps we also need to thank the Lord for the difficult trials we encounter in our lives as well as the pleasant moments.  The Lord has been convicting me in the last months and years of the need to do that very thing.  

Romans 8:28 NIV says this, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him"  I know that if you are like me, you may have struggles with that verse from time to time.  What was good about my first husband, Wayne, suffering from a horrid disease which made him become more and more physically disabled and then finally die from it?  What was good about my younger sister dieing from cancer after a long struggle?  What is good about my present husband now having to live in an assisted living facility?

The reason we struggle with this verse is because our definition of the word, "good" is different than the Lord's definition of "good."  We think of "good" things as circumstances which are comfortable, pleasant, easy, and enjoyable.  God's definition of "good" is that which makes us more conformed to the image of the Son, that which makes us more like Jesus, and that which accomplishes the will of God.  Sometimes this can only happen through trials and challenging times.  When we feel the most weak we depend on the Lord the most, and then often His strength is shown in us for our good and to help others.  

Having said that, know that the Lord feels sorrow with us in our moments of grief and trouble.  He is always there to comfort us and help.  Someday He will also return on the clouds of glory; and we will be eternally with Him, free of all  heartaches, tears, and pain.  As the song says, "What a day that will be when My Jesus I shall see!"

(I recently posted a reel which talks about what we just discussed.  It is powerful.  If you missed it when I posted it, you can view it at the link below.)

  

https://www.facebook.com/reel/361379893582603

Choosing Gratitude

 

Some years ago I read a book by Nancy Leigh De Moss called Choosing Gratitude.  In one chapter she lists eight reasons for a grateful heart in spite of circumstances.  One reason is that gratitude is a matter of obedience.  It is commanded by God throughout His Word especially in the Psalms and New Testament Epistles.  Gratitude also draws us closer to God.  When we long for a greater sense of God's nearness or life's stresses pile up like they can, gratitude to the Lord is the gateway to His presence.

Gratitude is further the only sure path to peace.  Life difficulties can become overwhelming. Prayer is a good avenue of release, but it must be accompanied with gratitude (Philippians 4:6-7.) When gratitude combines with prayer and we open our eyes to God's blessings and mercies even in the midst of heartaches, peace follows. When we thank God even when we can't understand what He is doing in our lives, there is peace.

Gratitude is also a gauge to our heart.  It is often easy to be thankful for the obvious blessings.  It is less easy to be thankful for the more difficult and hard to understand blessings.  If one is thankful in all things, it shows a heart which believes that God is always faithful and good and can be trusted. Giving thanks in all things is not acquired in a moment.  It is the result of many choices to be thankful even in difficult moments.

Gratitude is the will of God.  Choosing it is more important than choices we make about any other of life's decisions.  All other life decisions pale in comparison to choosing gratitude.  Gratitude is proof of being filled with the Holy Spirit.  It is evidence that we are yielding to His control. Gratitude further reflects Jesus' heart.  Even the night before Jesus was put on the cross He showed gratitude to the Heavenly Father in His prayers at the Last Supper.  He gratefully and willingly submitted to the Father's will in spite of the horrors of the cross just before Him.

Finally, gratitude prepares us for heaven. Think of all the saints in heaven praising God before His throne.  My first husband, my sister, and other saints who have gone ahead of me to heaven are no longer suffering from disease or heartaches of any kind, but they are praising God before His throne right now!  I too can join in that praise by thanking and praising the Lord now.  Life is difficult at times.  I often find gratitude a difficult choice to make.  Yet in the measure that we walk with gratitude, peace will follow.  Resolve with me to to strive to walk that path.

Lessons Learned in Spring

 

Spring is a time of transistion.  It is a time when we tend to switch back and forth between warm sunny days and rainy colder days.  In 2010 we apparently were blessed with a particularly beautiful spring, however.  In late May of 2010, while still a caregiver for my first husband, Wayne, I wrote the following words:

“I always thought that I liked autumn the best of all the four seasons. This year, however, I am really enjoying spring. Our neighbors to the right of us have three fruit trees in their yard that have beautiful pink blossoms on them. We have a smaller fruit tree on our yard. People across the street also have a fruit tree with beautiful white blossoms on it. There is beauty all around me this spring. I am amazed at the beauty in God's creation." 

This year in 2024 I have been enjoying the tulips, as they have been exceptionally beautiful.  I look forward to the other spring flowers soon to bloom and to the roses which usually are abundant on our rose bush sometime in June.

Spring is also a time for dandelions, however. They are that pesky "flower" that likes to take over people's lawns. They are especially unattractive when they go to seed.  I think that is a perfect analogy for our lives.   Why is it that it is so much easier to concentrate on the dandelions instead of the awesomely beautiful spring flowers and trees?

Likewise, it is so easy to concentrate on the sorrows, difficulties, and frustrations of life. We sometimes forget to concentrate on the blessings and beauties all around us. Most mornings as part of my devotions I try to write down blessings for which I am thankful. That helps, but it is still easy to slip into the negative emotions, as one works one's way through the day.

"Lord, comfort me in my times of sorrow and frustration. Give me the perseverance of the dandelion which continues to flourish in spite of being mowed down and hated. Finally open my eyes to Your blessings, Lord; and make me truly thankful."

Life can be extremely challenging and discouraging. In spite of this, dear reader, try to look for the blessings in the midst of the sometimes chaos of life.  God often gives us the blessings of character building, growth in the faith, and the gift of His presence in a special way through the avenue of the challenges and trials of life. 

When my grandchildren were younger they would sometimes come to my house with fresh bouquets of dandelions. They did this because of their love for me. The dandelions which often are considered a weed and a nuisance by many, then became a blessing to me. In a similar way, the Lord can use the discouraging aspects of life to show His love to you, dear reader. Trust Him to use the difficult things in your life for ultimate good even when that is very difficult for you to see at times. 

Joyful Moments

Sometimes we get so weighed down by the difficult moments that we fail to keep our focus on the Lord and the glory that awaits us some day in Eternity.  The Lord at times also gives us moments of joy or an oasis of joy even here in our life on earth. For me many of these moments revolve around family and watching my grandchildren grow and mature especially spiritually.

I remember Christmases of years past when some years we as family were able to get together in spite of being miles apart.  I remember the joy of for a few years being able to tutor some of my grandchildren who were being home schooled at the time.  I remember being able to attend my granddaughter's high school graduation.  She lived 500 miles away, and for a little while it appeared that my ride to that graduation had fallen through.  I remember the honor of being asked by another granddaughter to critique her portfolio's for a college course that she was taking.  I remember seven years ago having my grandson from London who was only a few months old at the time in my home along with his mother for about six weeks. 

Almost five years ago all my grandchildren were present at my wedding to Bob, although they have grown and matured so much even since that day.  Then a few years ago they were together again minus my London grandchildren.  Here is a picture of them that weekend: 

There are many other memories that I could include, but I will conclude with two more pictures that are more recent.  One is of my grandson who made profession of faith in his church on April 28th.  The second on is of a granddaughter graduating from college on May 4th.