November

The seasons have officially changed with these last few cold fronts just seeping in and daylight savings time rebooting. And it seems when November comes, the rest of the year just sort of becomes a landslide of time, gaining momentum with each passing day. We have a big family and there are a lot of moving parts when holidays are approaching, and it is easy to get preoccupied with a to do list and lose sight of God's blessings for each new day. My day was an open one today, and instead of sitting at my computer first thing, I just quietly sat cuddled up on my couch, looking out the back window and allowed God the time with my thoughts. It is oddly soothing to just be still and be quiet. And even more so when I pause to just be thankful, for all that God has done, and that is just what I did.

It is hard to give thanks when things around us are falling apart, and the weights of the world have taken their toll, and God seems quiet and unavailable when we seek his face, but even Christ, in his foreknowledge of known capture gave thanks to God in spite of his circumstances. For it is in our thanksgiving that God is pleased. He wants to know, that we know, that all is under his authority even in the midst of tough and painful times. It is in thanksgiving that our focus is changed and transformed. We are able to move from consuming thoughts of ourselves to elevating, heavenly thoughts of God himself, as he sits upon his throne of grace.

I remember after my mom had a massive heart attack that would take her very life, I was on the freeway driving back to the hospital and I knew I needed to gather my precious prayer warrior friends for prayer on her behalf. But the Lord clearly and definitely put on my heart that when we gather, let their be "praises not pleases", and that is exactly how we prayed. He knew what was in store and he needed to change my focus. Instead of the anxious and fearful state of uncertainty, he changed my thoughts to occur on who he was, the authority that he has, and the gift of my mom that he had given me. I was to praise him for her life and the relationship that we had. It did chance my focus. Not to say I didn't grieve greatly in later months, but I did know that the praise and thanksgiving is what I had to stand on. It was the solid ground that continually reminded me of God's sovereignty. Giving thanks is one of God's remarkable tools for resolution, and restoration, and healing. We thank God for our past events, relationships and lessons learned, oh but today he has given us new mercies,
new ventures and newfound treasures waiting to be unleashed. If only we would be still, and take notice of the blessings that are before us, then we could not help but extend our overflowing gratitude for what he has done.

1 Thessalonians 5:18
give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

We celebrate Thanksgiving and that one day is set aside to give thanks unto the Lord. But what about the other days? Do we celebrate those days with thanksgiving? Or do we get smothered by the "to do" lists and the entanglements of worldly priorities. There are all kinds of books written on thanksgiving, and things to be thankful for, but really, if we are unable to find things everyday to be thankful for on our own without the help of a book, we are living in our own world of denial, or maybe it is just laziness, and not being willing to set out a thought pattern that incorporates appreciation.

You know people and I do too who are truly appreciative for almost everything and they voice it. And if by chance you are the recipient, you know quite well how it feels. I was thinking about all that God does for us and has done for us, and just how many times I take the time to recognize even a tiny little portion of his many blessings. Then I started thinking about how many times it is said in the bible to "give thanks".
The answer is forty eight. What if I started out each day praising the Lord and giving thanks just to be alive! And then added a few more prayers of thanksgiving for my family, for the plans that I know he has for my day, or being able to live in a free country, for his presence that never fades, for his faith that never is diminished, for his wisdom and his strength, for his enduring love and for his direction. Gosh, once you start it just keeps going.
But the starting is the deal. It is a mindset that generates an appreciation to God, who has opened his warehouse of riches for our bounty. God does not want to be taken for granted, nor does he want us to take without giving. His gift to us is everlasting life and the entrance to his warehouse of riches that we are to use for his purposes on this earth. We enjoy them everyday, wether we recognize it or not. It is not too much to say Thank You. So why don't I do it more often? Because I have not made it a priority and have let other thoughts of requests come before it in my prayers.

Today, even if the day gets crazy with interruptions, I will submit my thanksgiving and praise throughout the day. And tomorrow I will pray first thing that God will put a sticky note on my mind so that I will remember to do it again ...and the day after that...and the day after that until I will incorporate that into my daily life. It takes no time, no special place, no special tools, just one thought of gratefulness at a time, sent in a fleeting moment to God...to warm his heart and please him. Such little in return for his bounty of blessings. But just as you feel so good when someone says thank you to you, I would bet that God sure likes it when we take time to express it to him.

It is November, pretty late in the year to gearing up for thanksgiving, what about all the other 10 months? Maybe it would be an engaging practice to use November as the first of 12 months to find things to be thankful for. Just keep a little legal pad in the kitchen or at your desk, and make it a habit to jot down something this day to be especially thankful for. Pretty soon, it would become an unconscious exercise and the joy of thanksgiving would override the stress of a daily grind. Instead of approaching life in strained resolute, it would alter the course of thinking from a formidable state of entitlement and chores to a positive appreciation of what God has already accomplished and a hope for what is to come.

Ok, this might all sound like jargon, but truly when we approach life with a noted recognition of the blessings that we have, and we stay founded and grounded on that truth, it does override our anxiousness about situations and circumstances that are before us that are less that comfortable. The focus is centered on contentment for what we do have, and not on our longings for what we do not have. It must give God such pleasure when we tell him thank you, for even the little things, his little ways, the way he works things out in timing and in relationships, in our daily grinds, and how he listens and answers prayers. He has to smile when he is recognized.

We serve a loving God. His love endures forever. It is upon us, within us, around us and is seen through us. All we have to do is just be quiet and be still and know that he is God and tell him Thank You.

Psalm 100:4
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

Dear Lord, nudge us, to be still and quiet and allow you to monitor our thoughts. Place upon our hearts and minds your ways and your enduring love and the blessings that are upon us and wthin us, too many to count. Help us to stand on the solid ground of your enduring love and trust you in all circumstances by giving you the praise and thanksgiving that will honor your name. Amen


Praise God wherever you are and whatever situation He has allowed you to be in . . . His glory will shine through!