My True Thanks Giving

Ever feel your attempts at communicating the emotions that accompany the exhaustion in your heart are just plain feeble? Sometimes it's just beyond your words to express the isolation that your individual experiences can lead you to on those coarser days. There's a sadness that begins to settle when you realize the weather patterns not changing, so you better put on your raincoat and raise your umbrella because this will be a long storm.

I've known those feeling and I've always thanked the Father for teaching me that those feelings are a misconception. They are like illusions. Lies of the heart that the Devil uses to separate us from the Father's loving hand. They cannot and will not reflect the certainty of Joy that comes from resting in the Father's love. Romans 8:26 "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."

Now that's not to say we aren't surrounded by flesh. So for the most part many of us (maybe not all, but for most of us) we'll need to discard the lies of the flesh so that we can press on. Those feelings will come, but the challenge for those of us who believe is to release them and instead cling to what is real & lasting. Philippians 3:3 "For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh."

I am always so profoundly impressed when the Father equips me to stand in His love. Job 36:15 "But those who suffer He delivers in their suffering; He speaks to them in their affliction." What a remarkable strength that clearly surpasses my own. A renewal that can only come from a parent's affirming love. No matter what type of up bringing we 've had, no matter who we looked at for parental guidance we were always strongest when we received reassuring love. A great example of that is in Luke 15:20 (The example of the Prodigal Son) "So he got up and went to his father.... But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him." What loving mercy.

My Faith deepens each and every time the Lord chooses to personally come down and rescue me, even when it's from myself at times. Isaiah 66:11-16. What protection, what generosity like no other. Don't you just love it when you know sometimes all the aspects of your day were specifically designed to refresh you?... to get you to hold on. To protect your grip from slipping. He doesn't have to do that. He doesn't have to repeatedly demonstrate His love (I mean come one he gave us Jesus already) but he does. Sometimes it's in a babies smile, or your children's laughter, or the Churches' voice singing, or in the pages of the bible, or revealed in answered prayer. Perhaps it's in a hug without words, or a listening ear, or a loved ones forgiveness, or your forgiveness to that loved one. All of it, big and small, a design of love from God. I thank you Father this day. I truly do.

See He doesn't accuse; He doesn't grow impatient; He just reaches down and takes hold of us. Now if that's not giving I don't know what is. That my friends is exactly why I had a wonderful Thanks Giving Holiday.

Love you Daddy!
Philippians 3 (continued...) vs.7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Until the end...

What a privilege it is to hear about the journey other's take in life. Thanks to another blogger, who I visited with multiple times this past two days! (through written word), I was inspired to journal a little today. (Thank you to that special someone for sharing your life with all of us).

How blessed are we, God's creation that is. In an often lonely, overwhelming, frustrating, heavy laden world the Father reaches down his sweet hands to comfort us... And individually for that matter. Wow! What a great effort. Imagine knowing how to perfectly manage each and every one of your relationships with a perfect love that shows no error. The mere thought makes my already fried brain ache, LOL. But Daddy God does indeed do it perfectly. What love, what constant care. Thank you Father Daddy.

Today I read a scripture that I love...1 Chronicles 29:10-13..."Praise be to you, O Lord God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. ...In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give power to all. Now, our God we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name."

To that I say Amen!

Now in that scripture David was sharing, through prayer, all that he can express and all that he is through God's loving hand, but this sentiment reminded me to reflect on Paul. Early on after his conversion Paul came to the realization that life will be full of affliction. He was lead by the Spirit to know this to be the case for him in particular. However, like David, Paul must have had a good understanding of the rewards of God's love. Paul must have trusted God's love for Him and in how it would carry him through. He refused to let anything in this life stop Him from serving the Father. Acts20:24 "I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.

That is such an awesome example. They both were (Paul and David) when it comes to intimacy with God. I pray I can continually be trained by all I am experiencing here. I pray that God will give me the strength and the passion to constantly step to the side so I can work to share his truths with others. I pray that I might edify and love others...that I may minister to my family and sing his Glorious praises. I pray I hold out and hold on. I had a wonderful prayer today with a Sister who often feels isolated because of the pain she endures. We both experienced God's loving hand by the end of that prayer. We both were able to walk away feeling strengthened and recognizing no matter what we want to fight until the end. I want to be on God's side when the war is over. We might get knocked down a few times during the battle but in the end if we stand firm, if we never forfeit the objective, it will be well worth it.