When we think of Thanksgiving, we think of family gatherings and lots of food. We take the time to think about all the things we are thankful for. Many families gather around a table filled with turkey and all the fixings and express their gratefulness for the things they hold dear.
We are always thankful for the good things, the blessings. We express thankfulness for our family, our health, and any wealth that God may have provided for us in the past year. But, we never thank God for the trials, the many things that He has taught us, or the scars that have taken place during those low moments in our year.
When I was thinking about what to say today, I was going to make a list of all things we should be grateful for and try to remember to help others out this holiday season. That is a great message, but God slowly revealed a different side to the meaning of being thankful. In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, God’s word says, “ Be thankful in ALL circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” The key word here is ALL. It’s easy to be thankful for ALL those amazing blessings, but it sure is hard to be thankful for ALL those learning experiences that leave those scars.
Have you ever been through something and you feel alone, and then out of nowhere you find out someone understands? I had that happen last month. A parent was going through something, and I shared that I had been through the same thing. Their eyes instantly filled with tears as they thanked me for sharing and reminding them that they are not alone. It may not be ideal to go through these trials in life, but the scars they leave can be reminders of where we have been, they can be lessons learned, joy in reminding us that we are no longer in that place, and we may even become thankful for the scars that God gave us so that we maybe can understand what others are going through or cause gratitude at what God saved us from.
My last story is a personal one for me. When my boys were little, we were busy doing “life”. Things were going well, my husband had a great job, my boys were healthy, I was thankful, but the company my husband worked for announced that right before Thanksgiving they would be laying off 300 people. My husband was one of those 300 people. Eventually the company closed down. I remember standing in my kitchen, shocked at what I was hearing. Right before the holidays, my husband lost his job and I remember just looking at my boys and trying not to panic. I remember thinking, “God’s got this. We will be ok. Hopefully it won’t be long and he will have something quickly take its place.” Well, when you have 300 people ALL looking for jobs at the same time, let’s just say the market doesn’t run in your favor! We spent 3 years in part-time jobs just trying to survive! The struggle was real. I remember at the end of the 3 years, I finally just broke down on my bathroom floor in tears. I felt frustrated, mentally exhausted, and that God had left us at times. Let’s say my faith had left me for a moment. My husband had put out so many resumes that I used to joke that we could make wallpaper out of the rejection letters! Then one day, the call came! A full-time job! I cannot even begin to tell you how thankful I was. I still remember every moment of the day that he lost his job and the day he received a job. I can tell you where I was standing, what was said, the amount of joy we had when the call came. 3 years of scars, and in that moment, God reminded us that it will all be ok. I learned a lot from those scars. God constantly reminds me to trust Him through it all. He reminds me that I am not in control, and He reminds me to be thankful in any job that I hold and I hold this one dear to my heart. I am thankful for my scars, for it showed me how to rely on God in all circumstances.
So, when we think about all the amazing things that God has blessed us with this month, let’s take a moment to remember those things He saved us from and be thankful for those scars!
11.16.2019
9.16.2019
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Freedom
Have you ever had those moments when the Holy Spirit whispers in your ear to do something, but you don't want to do it? It's like God wants to put you in the most awkward positions to get you do what He has asked of you. As a Christian, I try hard to allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide me. He is definitely no man made GPS, for He is accurate 100% of the time. He knows the entire situations of not just me, but my surroundings. As a human, I gauge things according to my feelings, my situations, and follow accordingly, but God wants us to view things from others perspectives, not just our own.
On the flip side...have you ever felt alone. I mean...alone, yet you are surrounded by people? Even if the people truly care about you, you can face this loneliness that only you understand. Maybe you are the type of person who doesn't know how to reach out to others. It takes alot of courage to open your mouth and speak those few words, "Please help me." It makes you feel vulnerable, exposed, and you feel like once you say them, people will view you differently and in the end you feel even more alone.
I was recently in a restaurant with people I know well. Despite knowing them well, I knew that one person in particular struggles with anxiety and depression. This person represents the loneliness that one can feel in a crowded room. This person is overwhelmed by crowds, struggling with her own personal needs, and consumed by what the week had brought before her. Despite surrounded by an entire room of people, some of whom love her, you can tell she always feels alone. At times she blurts out how she feels and at other times she pushes her feelings deep, deep down.
Sensing how her week had been going, I began to ask questions and figured out some of the issues that plagued her this past week. The Holy Spirit nudged me to pray with her. Pray with her? That's the easy part, but praying with her in a crowded restaurant, surrounded by people looking, awkwardly asking if I could pray for her, and wondering her reaction was the hard part! As we were leaving, I walked over, put my arm around her and asked if I could pray for her. She said, yes, and I quietly pulled her aside, prayed for her, left a scripture that God had for her, and we went our separate ways. For me, despite it being awkward, it was something I knew that God wanted me to do. I put aside my feelings, put aside her feelings, and put God's wants first. Sure, it was probably extremely awkward for her as well. Yet, I know that sometimes when people can't physically speak and ask for help, that God sees their heart, hears their cries, and knows what's best for them.
I am not a hero. I am nobody. I am just a person that God placed there to speak His life into another. He orchestrates our lives, places us in situations, and stretches us to further His work. What is the Holy Spirit nudging you to do today? Will it completely pull you out of your comfort zone? Will it create awkward moments? Will you refuse? If I had refused, I could not have ministered to a hurting person at a time when she needed God most. I want to encourage you all today to listen to what God is telling you. That little nudge in your spirit...that's the Holy Spirit, asking you to be there for another...asking you to step outside of your comfort zone to comfort another, giving them freedom. The verse for you today is "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." 2 Corinthians 3:17.
On the flip side...have you ever felt alone. I mean...alone, yet you are surrounded by people? Even if the people truly care about you, you can face this loneliness that only you understand. Maybe you are the type of person who doesn't know how to reach out to others. It takes alot of courage to open your mouth and speak those few words, "Please help me." It makes you feel vulnerable, exposed, and you feel like once you say them, people will view you differently and in the end you feel even more alone.
I was recently in a restaurant with people I know well. Despite knowing them well, I knew that one person in particular struggles with anxiety and depression. This person represents the loneliness that one can feel in a crowded room. This person is overwhelmed by crowds, struggling with her own personal needs, and consumed by what the week had brought before her. Despite surrounded by an entire room of people, some of whom love her, you can tell she always feels alone. At times she blurts out how she feels and at other times she pushes her feelings deep, deep down.
Sensing how her week had been going, I began to ask questions and figured out some of the issues that plagued her this past week. The Holy Spirit nudged me to pray with her. Pray with her? That's the easy part, but praying with her in a crowded restaurant, surrounded by people looking, awkwardly asking if I could pray for her, and wondering her reaction was the hard part! As we were leaving, I walked over, put my arm around her and asked if I could pray for her. She said, yes, and I quietly pulled her aside, prayed for her, left a scripture that God had for her, and we went our separate ways. For me, despite it being awkward, it was something I knew that God wanted me to do. I put aside my feelings, put aside her feelings, and put God's wants first. Sure, it was probably extremely awkward for her as well. Yet, I know that sometimes when people can't physically speak and ask for help, that God sees their heart, hears their cries, and knows what's best for them.
I am not a hero. I am nobody. I am just a person that God placed there to speak His life into another. He orchestrates our lives, places us in situations, and stretches us to further His work. What is the Holy Spirit nudging you to do today? Will it completely pull you out of your comfort zone? Will it create awkward moments? Will you refuse? If I had refused, I could not have ministered to a hurting person at a time when she needed God most. I want to encourage you all today to listen to what God is telling you. That little nudge in your spirit...that's the Holy Spirit, asking you to be there for another...asking you to step outside of your comfort zone to comfort another, giving them freedom. The verse for you today is "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." 2 Corinthians 3:17.
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