Giving Thanks

Some days I know exactly what I want to blog about. On those days I begin blogging like a racehorse running through the starting gate. Other times, I don't have a clue. By faith, I sit down at my keyboard and start writing. Those times are amazing, because I can testify to God writing those blog posts. Then other times, like today, I've got my mind totally set on my topic and I'm ready to write. Then God completely flips the script.

Today is one of those days.

For weeks now I've been planning to spend the entire month of November discussing adoption, foster care and the Church's call to care for the needs of orphans. With November being Adoption Awareness Month, I will certainly be sharing my heart for orphan care throughout the month. So stay tuned and pass my blog site on to any family, friends and church members of yours that have a heart for orphans as well.

But a theme just keeps stirring up in my spirit that I know I'm supposed to commit some time to this month. And that is, quite simply -- gratefulness.

Before I share a little about gratefulness, let me give you a quick testimony. Gratefulness has been a personal struggle for me my whole Christian life. While I'm married to an eternal optimist, (Gets on my last nerves sometimes... Just saying!) I like to call myself a realist. My husband Anthony, on the other hand, describes me as that horrible "p" word that ends like optimist. (I'm refusing to claim the title to the point where I won't even write the word.)

Well anyway, whatever you want to call me, I've never been one to skip through fields of daisies wearing rose colored glasses. In my head, I see things as they are. I'm the kind of person that calls out truth. I tell it like it is. I keep it real. And whatever else you want to call it.

But recently God's been challenging me about my take on truth. He lovingly reminded me that while I may have a gift of discernment, allowing me to see truth in people and circumstances, only He sees the whole truth in a situation. God, Who sees all, can see not only the truth of my present circumstances, but He can see the truth of my future as well. A future that I don't have eyes to see.

And guess what? He sees the truth of your life too.

Let me drop a little wisdom by way of Kelly Minter, author of the Bible study I'm currently studying, No Other Gods.

Deception is very, well...deceiving. Michael Wells of Abiding Life Ministries says... "Satan will tell us what's true, but he never tells us the truth." Let that sink in for a moment. If you're currently struggling with your finances, you might think something along these lines... 'I don't have enough money to pay my bills this month; I'm going to lose everything.' It might be true that you don't have enough money to pay your bills, but the truth is that God will take care of your every need (see Matt. 6:25-30).

See, what God showed me is this: I can see what's true about my situation, but I can't always see the whole truth. Only He can see that. I may not know how a situation will work out, but I know the God Who makes "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) I may not know what tomorrow will bring, but I know the a Savior Who is "the same yesterday and today and forever." (Hebrews 13:8)

So if I would only place my trust in the sovereign God Who knows all and sees all, I can have joy in and through any circumstances, no matter how dismal things appear. Even when the truth of my life is difficult or even frightening, I can know that God's got it and He's got me. So while I'm living in the truth of my reality, I should be joyful. I should be content. I should be grateful.

I'll leave you with the scripture from my Bible study today that drove home the need for gratefulness in my life and for my life:

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:15-17)

So let's keep it real while trusting Him and His goodness in our lives. He really is that good.

Walking in Gratefulness,

Carla