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....Click on the
Multitudes On Mondays graphic on my right sidebar to read more.
Dear Reader,
I'll be honest with you. I'm not feeling very thankful today.
Mondays are never my best day of the week, and today seems especially "not very thankful". I feel guilty. I struggle.
Right now I'm seeing all "the holes" in the canvas of my life. When concentrating on the holes, the rips, the tears... I find it difficult to see the beauty. I know that is a poor attitude, you don't have to remind me. Believe me, I know.
All the things I wish were....and aren't.
All the things I want...and can't.
All the trying to measure up....and falling short.
All the dreams...dashed.
All the little things....that become BIG things.
All the words thought....but never said.
All the wishing....not coming true.
All the obstacles....not overcome.
All the life beautiful...is really broken.
We live in an imperfect world.
Life IS broken. Isn't that true for us all?
Aren't there days when we each wonder, the why?
When our vision is full of gray, and the colors seem dulled?
When we want so much more, but get so much less?
God knew we'd have days like this. Hard days. Painful days. Days of longing for something else. Something that is seemingly just out of reach. The frustration. The grieving. The seemingly unfairness of it all. He knew. He always knew.
Giving thanks through the difficult times. The broken times. Ann Voskamp calls it the "hard eucharisteo". The giving of thanks when we are searching through the darkness. The saying "yes" to God, when we don't understand. The trusting that this hard place we are in, is not the final destination.
Ann goes on to say, "Grace + Thanks = Joy". She's right, you know
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything. Not about life plans. Not the wondering. Not the worrying.
But in everything That is a big, all encompassing word.
By prayer and petition God hears us!
With thanksgiving Always thanksgiving...even when it is the hard eucharisteo
. present your requests to God. He wants us to talk with Him. In the good times and the not so good times. He is there.
And on a day when it seems dark, not just because of the storm clouds, I can say thank you. I can give the thanksgiving to the One who hears me even when the words aren't spoken aloud. I am thankful.
- Philippians 4:6-7 - Peace (nicoleanncarr.wordpress.com)
- God only knows (wondersofhislove.com)
- When Life Is Hard (gibsongirl247.wordpress.com)
- Thankful Through the Good and Tough (lynhallewell.wordpress.com)
- re-membering (threadingsymphonies.wordpress.com)
- 1000 Gifts! Growing and Changing Myself (memawsstuff.wordpress.com)
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