Thankfulness

Sometimes its hard to be thankful. When you are lonely or full of despair, or your life is stuck and you just can't seem to get past the same awful lesson that God keeps taking you to over and over and over again. Then we get to November, Thanksgiving. And its thankful day. Its unbearable if you are in that place of unthankfulness. I don't know if you've ever been there, but I have, and its painful.

Yesterday a boy was eating his way through the grocery store, he was hungry, and he got caught. It was thanksgiving day - they called the police, and they arrested him. He was only a teenager; far from home, hungry, and lonely. He didn't look like he was having a very good thanksgiving, and the police and grocery store were not hot on the compassion aspects of the day. Off he went with three policemen, probably still aching in his stomach.

I am not condoning shoplifting or anything like that, but there are very real circumstances in peoples lives that drive them to a place where thanksgiving is just not the first thing on their lips. Its strange but having been in this place once in my life now, I no longer feel the need to make them thankful! No more, OH COME ON YOU MUST HAVE SOMETHING YOU ARE THANKFUL FOR!!!!!

Sometimes its okay to just sit in the midst of a persons despair and just be with them, support them, and honor their story by listening. There will be a time of thanksgiving for them, a time and a season of rejoicing.

I think having walked through the valley of the shadow of death, this thanksgiving was even that much sweeter, that much more wonderful, that much more rich.

My cup floweth over.......

Transitions

It seems pretty much everyone I speak to these days is going through some sort of transition - either they are scaling back, or they are being scaled back; they have lost their job or they are anticipating layoffs; they are in the midst of the shock waves this past year. And they are afraid. To one degree or another the changes in our world have had a cascading effect on many people forcing transitions, some good - and many difficult.

Today in church a scripture was sung that spoke to me deeply about transitions. It was so beautiful as we sung this scripture I imagined this to be a beautiful exchange, a sense of completion that you feel as you have moved fully from one transition to a new place. What a beautiful scripture to meditate on as you wait upon the Lord and discern what he has for you next in your journey, whatever it is that you are going through - let peace speak to your heart.

PSALM 85:8-13

I will listen to what the Lord God is saying
for he is speaking peace to his faithful people
and to those who turn their hearts to him.

Truly his salvation is very near to those who fear him,
that his glory may dwell in our land.

Mercy and truth have met together,
righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

The Lord will indeed grant prosperity,
and our land will yield its increase.

Righteousness shall go before him,
and peace shall be a pathway for his feet.


I am in transition. Moving from a place of perfectionism to a place of understanding what it is that God requires of me, moving from a place of blind faith to a place of rich faith in a God that is full of mercy. The painful truth is that transitions can take time to navigate through.

What will you make of your season of transition? To each one of us its very personal, however God is merciful and full of goodness. He will meet your every need along the way.

Peace.