The Art of Thanksgiving

Sometimes it's hard to hear the voice of God especially when we want something really bad. It might not be a material item such as a corvette, which we are apt to use as an example of what NOT to expect God to mean when He says, "Ask and it will be given to you..." We may have a hard time separating what we want to hear from what God is actually telling us. There are times when we mishear God's voice. Then there are those times that God has inspired us or excited us about something that is truly from Him. He has put the fire within us for the very thing that He would like us to do. Finally, there are other times God is simply saying, "Wait". Those are the hardest.

Oftentimes, I find that up until a certain point I am a good waiter. I can hum along and control my inner desire that wants to know something or get something right at this very moment. But usually what happens is that after a certain period of waiting, I begin to fidget, tap my fingers, shuffle my feet, while exhaling loudly, and then it happens. Watch out!

Depression, not anger, is my usual response to such a time. I might be fooling myself that I am patiently waiting for God to answer, but I have really turned that anger inward and have allowed myself to sulk in a sea of hopelessness. (Sounds dramatic, right?)

Given that we have just finished celebrating Thanksgiving, I know that a thankful heart does not sulk and demand to have its own way. How often do we actually try to consciously be thankful? Be watchful and thankful, it says in the bible (my own paraphrase). Being in the dumps of sulking or self pity or impatience can blind us to the very things right in front of us. There is always something to be grateful for, even the smallest things.

Today I am thankful that God alerted me to the sound of the school bus passing in front of our house and that Llewelyn told him she had seen me so that I could run down the block and pick up my kids...just barely. I am thankful for the cups of warm coffee that warmed me during the day. I am thankful that I got to work from home, and that I actually got paid for something today. I am thankful for moments of quiet and stillness alone in the morning. I am thankful for snuggles with my daughters, relaxing with my husband on the couch in a home with sleeping children. I am thankful that God's timing is perfect....absolutely perfect, and I am thankful for the here and now.