I love this time of year. It's nice to live in an area that has 4 distinct seasons. November ushers in cooler temps, brilliantly colored leaves, and a familiar feeling of holidays soon approaching. Many begin to voice what they're thankful for with the arrival of autumn and Thanksgiving Day around the corner.
On this journey with God, being thankful has taken on a brand new meaning as I learn and grow and unfold this spectacular gift that He has made available to us through His Son, Jesus--the radiance of God's glory. I love how Max Lucado described gold-drenched sunsets and diamond-studded night skies: "Appetizers of Heaven."
It seems very fitting that Thanks and Giving should go hand in hand. This journey with God, a love walk with our Savior, becomes a lifestyle of being thankful and a lifestyle of giving. I heard someone ask if, under the law, they were to give 10%, what should we give now, under grace? Ten per cent may be a good starting place, but I want to learn to give as a part of who I am, with what I've been blessed with, and in response to how God has given so freely to me and to our family. Anyone with the means to read this, to have electricity, to have been educated, to be breathing with heart pumping right now, is so blessed!
Yes, I'm thankful, and I want to say so. I've been blessed with this new life, and I want to be a blessing. It's been a journey. Charity may come naturally to some, but I have to work at it, be creative with it, and not be stingy or self-centered--on purpose! Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation. This is something to celebrate and remember often. When the old has passed away and the new has come to stay, it's wonderful to keep yourself "stirred up" and be full till overflowing with Thanks in our heart and Giving as a way of life...because we have the opportunity to receive the greatest gift of all: life eternal through Jesus Christ, our Lord and our Savior. May you enjoy each season, as we all journey to become full till overflowing with continual Thanks and a heart of Gratitude.
There's no greater lonely than being surrounded by people and still feeling alone. At a young age I started with this vague sense that everyone knew what was going on, somehow they knew what they were doing, why they were there--and I was sort of on the outside looking in. It was different with family; I did have a sense of belonging there. But you know as you grow up, you want to be around friends and in relationships where you feel special, loved, or they give you that attention that you want so much.
We are built for relationship. It's no wonder we tend to reach beyond family at an early age. If there's been no guarding of your heart--and your emotions--you can get entangled in all sorts of bad relationships that begin with excitement or good feelings, and, in time, habit, routine, and fear of being alone can keep you there.
Some of the best learned lessons are the hardest to go through. On this side of my journey, I get how important it is to be so deeply rooted in God's Word, to be grounded in His stability, so we are not torn to the core permanently when others reject us, hurt us, neglect us, or unknowingly cause pain. That will all happen in relationship. It's the main reason we must know WHO WE ARE in Christ. He becomes our Rock and our Stability. He already knew how we would disappoint or mess up or outright sin again--yet His love for us never changes.
What we desperately look for in other people is what God is readily offering to us now. We seek contentment, fulfillment, completion, or joy. If we don't know where to look, we find a little temporary happiness here or there, all determined by circumstance or how we perceive others to be treating us.
So a word of encouragement to you is this: God is so much more, so much bigger, so loving, completely forgiving, and THE BEST RELATIONSHIP YOU WILL EVER HAVE. When we get things right with Him, all other things in life can start to be what they should be. It's a journey! Don't get stuck in regret, disappointment, or skepticism. This life is too precious to waste our days. May yours be blessed!
