Giving Thanks
Recently I was listening to a sermon by Candace Johnson titled "giving thanks." Among the plethora of reasons why it's important to give thanks, she said it helps us to see what God is doing. A lot of times we’re so caught up in negative thinking and feeling frustrated/hopeless with our circumstances, that if we don't give thanks we'll completely miss what God is actually doing in our lives for the good. I’ve learned that in a lot of circumstances, we can’t see any good until we actually open our mouths and start giving God thanks anyway. Then it’s like the floodgates open and we have a bunch of things to thank Him for!
One perfect example of this is when I recently ran into a couple that Joseph and I regard as our spiritual father and mother - they have taught us so much and poured themselves out for us in prayer and encouragement in the past. It was my dad’s first weekend at his nursing home, and just as I was about to leave after getting him settled in, I spotted Robert outside the door talking to some people I didn’t recognize. As I was about to approach him, I stopped and looked more closely, and realized the woman sitting in the wheelchair, around whom the people were gathered, was Luisa - Robert's wife and our spiritual mother. I was completely taken aback because she had deteriorated beyond recognition. We had found out she was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago, and she had undergone rounds of chemotherapy. Her body had declined significantly since I last saw her. I was about to break down crying just looking at her face and listening to her as she spoke to me in weakness and exasperation. I couldn’t believe what had happened to this couple we loved so much. I couldn’t imagine what they’d gone through and how they were holding up.
As we talked and caught up and I met their friends who were visiting, we went back to Luisa’s room and as I spent more time with them, I was more and more astounded by the words that were coming out of their mouths. Few people could possibly have such strength in this situation to speak such words of life and gratitude to God. But their talk was just such - it was about how their previously irresponsible nephew was stepping up and being willing to go to the hospital at a moment’s notice to take care of grandma. It was about Luisa’s mom who was also in the hospital for bronchitis, and how being in the hospital was helping her to calm down instead of being out and about and anxious all the time. It was about how, no matter what happens, God is good and Luisa will get to be with Him in His perfect timing. It was about hope, and learning, and triumphing. The strength they had in the Lord to keep hoping in Him and to keep noticing the good that He was doing - it was all astounding. Just being with these spiritual parents in the mountains and valleys of life, I learn so much. The words that they spoke confirmed to me that choosing to give thanks is truly a powerful way to notice the good hand of God. Yet as much as it encouraged and inspired me, how much more does being thankful delight Him?
This is a picture I took of Robert & Luisa, when we went to go see the Dead Sea Scroll Exhibit two years ago :).
One perfect example of this is when I recently ran into a couple that Joseph and I regard as our spiritual father and mother - they have taught us so much and poured themselves out for us in prayer and encouragement in the past. It was my dad’s first weekend at his nursing home, and just as I was about to leave after getting him settled in, I spotted Robert outside the door talking to some people I didn’t recognize. As I was about to approach him, I stopped and looked more closely, and realized the woman sitting in the wheelchair, around whom the people were gathered, was Luisa - Robert's wife and our spiritual mother. I was completely taken aback because she had deteriorated beyond recognition. We had found out she was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago, and she had undergone rounds of chemotherapy. Her body had declined significantly since I last saw her. I was about to break down crying just looking at her face and listening to her as she spoke to me in weakness and exasperation. I couldn’t believe what had happened to this couple we loved so much. I couldn’t imagine what they’d gone through and how they were holding up.
As we talked and caught up and I met their friends who were visiting, we went back to Luisa’s room and as I spent more time with them, I was more and more astounded by the words that were coming out of their mouths. Few people could possibly have such strength in this situation to speak such words of life and gratitude to God. But their talk was just such - it was about how their previously irresponsible nephew was stepping up and being willing to go to the hospital at a moment’s notice to take care of grandma. It was about Luisa’s mom who was also in the hospital for bronchitis, and how being in the hospital was helping her to calm down instead of being out and about and anxious all the time. It was about how, no matter what happens, God is good and Luisa will get to be with Him in His perfect timing. It was about hope, and learning, and triumphing. The strength they had in the Lord to keep hoping in Him and to keep noticing the good that He was doing - it was all astounding. Just being with these spiritual parents in the mountains and valleys of life, I learn so much. The words that they spoke confirmed to me that choosing to give thanks is truly a powerful way to notice the good hand of God. Yet as much as it encouraged and inspired me, how much more does being thankful delight Him?
This is a picture I took of Robert & Luisa, when we went to go see the Dead Sea Scroll Exhibit two years ago :).
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