"Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude."
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
I'm not a fan of poetry in general, or Emerson specifically, but I agree with the idea that we should give thanks continuously, and that all things should be included in our gratitude - the good and the bad. Unlike the transcendentalist Emerson, however, I do not muddle through life under the delusion that there is goodness apart from God, for I believe in the truth found in James 1:7, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."
I choose to give thanks to the Lord for everything, because nothing is given to me or happens in my life without His knowledge. Right now, life is going quite well for us. We both have found work that we enjoy and find fulfilling, we have the ability to grow and develop our skills and talents, we're on track to reach our financial goals by the end of the year, and God has allowed us to have opportunities to share His love with others who are hurting.
But it isn't always like that, is it? Last week, I logged on to Facebook and the first status that greeted me held the news that a childhood friend of Peter's was just diagnosed with breast cancer. She's 33 years old. And yet in the middle of her unsure future, she is giving praise to the Lord, openly voicing her belief that this disease didn't take God by surprise. Her complete assurance that God is good, no matter what happens, is inspiring and encouraging.
Please pray for Katie, her husband, and their three young children.
This week I'm thankful for...
911. The faithfulness of God, in good times and in bad
912. A personal relationship with Jesus Christ
913. The Book of Psalms
914. Homemade cheesecake with raspberry sauce (thanks, Mom) for Peter's birthday
915. Homemade cherry pie (also from Mom, also for P's b-day, because he asked for both)
916. The ability to get to know folks on Facebook, like Katie
918. The way the meals that I've been brave enough to cook this week turned out SO yummy
919. A supportive husband who encourages all my cooking attempts
920. The celebration of another year of life for the hubby - have I mentioned how much I love this man?
I love that Peter got cheesecake + cherry pie for his birthday! That is a man (and a momma) who knows how to celebrate!
ReplyDeleteYes, they do! :-)
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