Giving Thanks for Grace

“Who would like to say grace?”

Perhaps this question will be asked around a million tables this Thanksgiving.

When my daughter was younger, she would pray, “God is grace, God is good. Let us thank Him for our food.”

The original prayer is “God is great …” but, I cherish this rendition. 

Maybe it’s because God’s grace is so precious to me.

Seems like the Lord hand-tailored this focus on grace for me this week.  I taught on Rahab last Wednesday – “God’s grace knows no barriers,”  and saw Les Miserable night where I  watched the theme of God’s grace dance upon the stage.

And then there’s my own life.  Flashbacks roll in front of my mind, like scenes on a stage, reminding me of what God’s grace has been during times of great sorrow, loneliness, fear and uncertainty.  And even in today, I see what it is to be for me.

God’s grace fills me with peace when chaos swirls around me.

God’s grace rescues me when I am lost.

God’s grace washes me with strength when I am weak.

God’s grace fills me up with His truth when I am bombarded with lies.

God’s grace draws me close and wraps around me when I am scared and cold.

God’s grace stills my anxious heart.

God’s grace shows me that forgiveness is possible and it sets me free.

God’s grace leads me on when I am hesitant (or forget) to follow Him.

God’s grace covers me when I sleep.

God’s grace forgets my wrong-doings and does not hold them against me.

God’s grace refreshes me like falling rain when I am weary.

I am humbled by His grace.

Indeed, God’s grace is precious to me.

And this Thanksgiving, I am keenly aware of it and thankful for it – thankful for God's grace, Jesus.

Trying to be Thankful for the Thorns

In addition to thanking the Lord for the blessings this Thanksgiving I am convicted to try and be thankful for the thorns.

I was reading about Paul’s thorn last night, and I was struck by this --Paul said, “…to keep me from exalting myself, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh” 2 Corinthians 12:7.

God gave Paul a thorn. We don’t know what it is. Speculations range from an illness to a temptation to persecutions and an abundance of other ideas.  No one really knows, but Paul knew, and he asked the Lord to remove it 3 times.  However, God said, “No.”

But He just didn’t say “No,” (and He doesn’t just say "No" in our lives as well), He went on to say, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”  God’s answer to Paul’s request was His grace.

I don’t know for sure but I bet you have at least one if not a few thorns in your side. I do. Uninvited trials that inflict, infest and infect our lives with pain and discomfort.  Chronic issues that do not resolve – sorrows, physical pains, relationships with intractable people, disappointments, inner battles, temptations, insecurities and more.

These things that never seem to totally go away, prick and swell and get inflamed, but they are left there for a purpose, and often it is hard to understand. The answers to our hopes and prayers are not always what we hope and pray for.  God has other ideas – but they are good ideas.  Very good, for they are for our good and for His glory.

This Thanksgiving I’m thankful for all the blessings that God has given me, but I am also trying to be thankful for the thorns. I’ve stuffed the reality of my thorns for far too long, and over time, they just end up poking through and causing more problems.  I am going to choose to embrace the reality of my thorns, as a gift from God.

They keep me from exalting myself. They keep my humble.  They keep me on my knees. They keep me aware of my need of Him. They keep me sensitive to the needs of others, for as I embrace the reality of my own brokenness and the presence of God’s grace, the more I am willing to extend His grace.  They are one of the instruments that God uses to make us more like Jesus.

Is it hard for you to be thankful for the thorns? It is for me, but I am trying.  May I pray for us?

Dear Lord, Thank You for loving us enough to protect us from ourselves.  Our tendencies are to exalt ourselves and our abilities when we are to only exalt You. We want only happiness when You want so much more for us. Thank You for all that You give us, even the thorns.  Help us to realize the work that they do in our lives, through Your plan, and help us to extend grace to others, not always knowing what thorns they are dealing with.  Thank You for all You do and are.  Amen.

Blessed Thanksgiving, dear reader.

High-Five!

The score board was broken, so the score did not light up, but it wasn’t necessary to see it, anyway. We knew our team was down, and it wasn’t looking like a win for my son’s junior little league team. It was the bottom of the last inning. William, my eleven year old son stood at bat with two outs and two strikes. To add to the tension, the bases were loaded.

The pitcher hurled the ball, William swung the bat and -- “smack!” -- the ball sailed through the air, far in to left field. Everyone ran. The outfielders ran towards the ball that flew through the air. The infielders ran to cover their bases. The boys on base ran to the next base and the next base, and the next. William ran all the way to third, three runs being scored before it was all over. The crowd (and probably most dramatically, I, his mother) jumped from their chairs, screaming and cheering. My son's team ended up winning the game. One would think we won the World Series.

Today, William has been reliving his great moment in his own personal little league history. At lunch he outlined every micro-second of the infamous hit, detailing how he stood at bat, where the ball met the bat at the “sweet spot,” what he was thinking when he hit the ball, and on and on.

“And my friends and coaches were giving me high-fives, saying ‘great hit, William’ and ‘way to go, William.’ Even my friends on the other team were giving me high-fives and ‘way to go’s.’ It was so fun!”

Then he paused, held his hand high, with palm outstretched and beamed, “It was great getting all those high-fives mom, but I’m thinking – I’m going to give God a high-five for helping me to make that great hit!”

I love that -- giving God a high-five. Now that’s a picture to behold in my mind. The Lord’s strong, perfect hand reaching down, palm open to meet the hand that He formed, as it stretched out to show gratitude. Very cool.

I’m convicted by my son’s spontaneous acknowledgement of his gratefulness to God. It was grand to see him have a terrific game, but even sweeter to see his heart living a life of thankfulness. I’m learning from him; and in this game of life, win or lose, I’m going to work on reaching up, touching the hand of God, and giving Him a high-five for all He’s been and done for me.

Give Thanks for His Unfailing Love

Dear Loved Ones,

Whether you find yourself in a time of abundant blessing or in a time of deep need, my prayer for you this Thanksgiving is that you will know of God’s unfailing, faithful love for you. I am praying for those of you whom I know and those of whom I do not. God is not limited by whether I have ever met you – He can choose to use my prayers for you, if He desires, and so I pray.

Many people will proclaim with great optimism this Thanksgiving, “I am so blessed!” However, perhaps this weekend, you are struggling to feel blessed. Perhaps you have lost your job, lost your family or been betrayed. Maybe you are sick, weary, worn down or wandering. Maybe you are lonely, fearing, abused, or hopeless.

Although it is paramount that we look for the ways that we are blessed, my concern is that we can easily look upon these things admiringly and gradually the focus becomes on ourselves and what we “have,” rather than on Who God is.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “ … give thanks IN all circumstances.” It is a challenge, I must confess. God does not say that we need to be thankful FOR all circumstances, but we can be thankful IN them --IN all pain, IN all loneliness, IN all poverty, IN all grief. We can be thankful in it for what God is doing in us, through us, and especially, we can be thankful for Him.

We can be thankful for God’s faithfulness, for His quiet love and for His joy, despite pain. We can be thankful for the wisdom and insight that He gives those who love Him, for His truth and for the discernment that He gives, allowing us the ability to drown out what a multitude of people say to only hear His voice. We can be thankful that He is Safe and in control and a Refuge that we can run to. We can be thankful that He is always present, available, and will never leave us or turn His back on us. There are more than a million things that we can be thankful for about God.

Look in to the light of His face, that shines even brighter in the darkness, and give thanks to the Lord for Who He is. Thank the Lord FOR the blessings He has bestowed upon you, however large or small they may be, but do not miss giving thanks to God IN all circumstances. And, do not forget to "... give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love" (Psalm 107:8). What a relief and a reassurance that no matter whether we find ourselves in times of “blessing” or in “pain,” God and His love will never change.

In His Faithful Grip,

Andrea

An Unwanted Solicitor -- Envy

True confessions, I have felt the pursuance of envy on my heart over the last couple of weeks. Like an unwanted solicitor, the image of envy, with green eyes, dressed in the clothing of entitlement, pride and selfishness, has persisted in trying to get me to allow it in. I don’t need a show of hands, but anyone else having to bar their doors and post “No Trespassing Allowed” signs? Like the persistent solicitor either on the phone or at the door, it keeps calling and calling trying to get me to respond, and regrettably, from time to time I have answered to hear what it had to say.

Envy is the desire to have something that is possessed by another. Envy, like all sin, is destructive. Very destructive. Envy destroys us. It destroys our relationships with others. It destroys others. And it destroys our example of who Jesus is to others. Envy is never satisfied. It always wants more.

Proverbs 14:30 says that, “envy rots the bones.” Can you just feel it? It starts out as a sticky, slimy, sickening, grimy feeling and before you know it, it has permeated our very support structure, and the decay progresses at the speed of time elapsed photography. I hate it.

I can see the hot breath of envy making clouds of vapor out in the cold, outside of my heart, and I’ve noticed that it is often accompanied by its cohorts discontent and ingratitude. We want something that we do not have, and we are not pleased with God’s plan for our lives. We want what someone else has, rather than being satisfied with what God has given us. When I allow these two things to enter in to the home of my heart, I can almost be guaranteed that their pal envy is present, even if I did not notice it at first. I need to also be aware of these two harmful guests. Their boss is pride, and I know better than getting involved with pride. The enemy of our souls tries to sell us all sorts of lies. He entices and incites to evil. It brings him satisfaction. I do not want to be part of his supply of satisfaction. Pride alienates me from God, and I do not desire that. I love Him too much.

So, what do we do? Know what it looks like. Do not open the door. Do not answer the call. It can come in masqueraded as something else, like justice and truth, but it is not. Lay whatever you are feeling along side of what God’s Word says and look to see what is true. Ask the Lord to reveal it to you, and ask Him to show you the truth about yourself. If any envy has made its way in to your heart, rid of it (1 Peter 2:1)! Clear the home of your heart of this toxic, hazardous poison (Kick it out!) by asking for forgiveness and asking the Lord to show you who He has created you to be.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says this, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” In addition, practice joy, prayer and thanksgiving. It is a choice! When our hearts are full of these godly things, they act as a barricade against the entry of those things that destroy, like envy -- their presence is a sign to sin that says, “No Trespassing Allowed!”

PS Not always easy, perhaps never is. I'm a work in progress, for sure. Off to work on all of the above myself ... thankfully, God is here to help.

Through Thick and Thin Thankfulness

Over the past couple of days I have been keenly aware of the value of trying to attain or maintain a thankful heart. Somehow, I think that we can find the peace of God there as we bask in an awareness of that which He has given us, even amidst great pain and difficulty, and offer that back to Him on the pillow of thanksgiving.

So, today, I quite simply want to express my gratitude to God for the friends that He has given me, and all that they have done for me. As I look back over the last several years and even more so months, I can see how God has used each friend in a unique way to build me up, hold me together or let me fall a part in a safe place.

I am thankful for meals, cards(I have saved every one) and phone calls. I am thankful for friends who offer up prayers for me and my family. You have stormed the gates of heaven for us, and I am confident that God is using them. I am thankful for the friends who come over to my house, even when I want to just hide and cry, and thankful for the ones who give me space when I need it. I am thankful for friends who encourage me with God's Word. You will never know how it cuts straight to my soul and nourishes me when I need it most. I am thankful for the people who take a risk and care for me, even when they do not know what to say; I feel the Lord's presence when they took the time. I am thankful for friends who stand on truth and do not tolerate sin. I am thankful for friends who take time for my children, giving them attention and showing them what it means to be the family of God. I am thankful for the wisdom and discernment that friends share with me, not fearing man, but fearing God only, in all that they say. I am thankful for friends who sit with me late in to the night and hear my pain, and then do something silly to make me laugh. I am thankful for my friends who believe in me, even when I do not believe in myself, and encourage me to be all that I can be. I am thankful for their words of encouragement about Who God is who I am and about what I write.

Proverbs 17:17 says, "A friend loves at all times." Like the card above sent by a friend says, a friend does love Through Thick and Thin. In addition, Through Thick and Thin we are to cultivate a heart of thankfulness. So, thank you to the Lord and thank you to my dear friends. They show me the love of God and hold out the Light to light my path when the darkness feels too dark for me to see. I have learned of the love and peace of God through all of them.

God's Grace IS Sufficient

Dear reader, today I realize how much I have missed writing on the blog. It brings me so much joy and really helps me to internalize the truths that I learn about God.

The reason for my absence for the last week is that my 12 year old daughter had an unusual injury in ballet class, fracturing a part of her pelvis. We tried to manage her intense pain at home, over the weekend, but on Sunday morning I had had enough, and brought her to the ER. She was admitted for pain management, and ended up being in the hospital for three nights. It was so sad to watch her struggle with so much pain and the side effects of the pain medications that she was on. I am very relieved that she is home and feeling much better.

A friend shared with me that Shakespeare once said when sorrows come, they come not as single spies, but in battalions. I can relate to that right now. The dictionary says that a battalion is a large number of persons or things. In military terms, it is a ground force unit composed of headquarters and two or more companies; an army in battle array.

It does seem like a sort of assault when troubles come in multitudes. As I have shared, my heart is tired and weary as it sorrows over the crisis that I have been walking through, and now watching her suffer was heartbreak on top of heartbreak, as well as trying to care for my family, while she has such great need, was added challenge.

I am reminded of the description in 2 Corinthians 4:7-9 "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."

As the army of our sorrows push in, and we feel as we are overwhelmed, squished, even unable to take a deep breath, we can have hope, for within us we carry the truth of Jesus and his great love for us. And we can be confident that God will give us the grace that we need each moment of each day, as He says "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" 2 Corinthians 11:28. God gave me the grace to stay up late (even all night)and care for her in her pain, to hold her hand, rub her back, alert the nurses, feed her when she could not, support her body when she needed to take a few steps to the bathroom, and discern what she needed and when, and be available to my other children, even if by phone, to help them as they go on with their lives. God's grace is truly sufficient.

I am thankful to be home, and I am thankful that even when I feel like it is too much, that I can rest in God's grace and He will do more than I can imagine. I hope that you are able to rest in these simple yet powerful, active truths, today. It is good to be back.

Praise Will Always Be on My Lips

Rejoicing in all circumstances -- this is what has been on my mind over the last couple of days. When we are at the end of our ropes and feel as our breath has been taken away we are called to praise.

Philippians 4:4 says, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" and then, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (vs. 6)

In everything, joys and deep sorrows, we are to praise the Lord. When we want to curl up and cry and retreat and maybe even give up, turn to praise and trust the Living God to come and meet you in the midst of your deepest sorrow, offered up as a sacrifice of praise.

"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, through the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, through there are not sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be joyful in god my Savior" Habakkuk 3:17-18.

When we feel fruitless, bare, without much to be thankful for, we can still rejoice in the Lord. And when we exercise such faith, we realize that the Sovereign Lord will not only strengthen us to endure, but He makes our feet like the feet of a deer; he enables us to go on the heights (vs. 19). We can walk forward with sure footed confidence because we learn more of who God is in praise.

The bible is full of praises to the Lord. When we read through the Psalms and praise the Lord, regardless of what circumstances we are trudging through, God's Word will nourish our hearts and souls so that we can say with the Psalmist,

"I will extol the Lord at all times;

his praise will always be on my lips.

My soul will boast in the Lord;

let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

Glorify the Lord with me;

let us exalt his name together."

Psalm 34:1-3.