A bit more intense than my usual "look at Caleb!" postings....an honest look into my heart.
When going through a difficult time, as I am now, it is often hard for me to remember all I have to be thankful for.
God's word, in Philippians, tells us to "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:4-6)
While I claim these to be favorite verses of mine, I stand challenged with how often I put them into practice. It is nice to think about....and an encouragement in difficult times..."do not be anxious about anything...". The segment that follows is just as important, yet often overlooked, at least in my own life...."but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God..."
How often do I feel anxious? A lot. How often do I make my requests be known to God through prayer WITH Thanksgiving? Not a lot. Do I pray? Yes. Do I pray fervently? Probably not as fervently as I should.
For me, when I am anxious about something, it is so hard to just relax and be thankful. There. I said it. I am not so good at relaxing. Surprise, surprise. But, whether I am good at it or not is not the issue. The issue is that God's Word commands me to do something, and I don't do it nearly as often as I should.
So, today, I am going to be thankful...I am going to meditate on how God has blessed me, even though I am sad and hurt and discouraged. When I get that pang of hurt, or that twinge of sadness, or even that stabbing doubt that maybe God has forgotten about me, I am going to look up, give those cares to the One who created me, and THANK HIM for something...anything. He has blessed me in so many ways. His gift of life in Jesus is more than enough.....but He didn't stop there. I am a blessed woman. It's just that sometimes I get caught up in forgetting that. Feel free to hold me accountable to my attempts.
The best part? God promises that "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Peace. That sounds really good to me right now.
