In spite of…

In spite of ________________ [list all of the negatives things that could be stated], I am thankful for ____________ [fill in the blank with anything that is a positive].

In keeping with this current theme of giving thanks, I am working on how often I complain about anything. It isn’t that there aren’t things to complain about, but I am often a “glass half full person” until I am in a rut and I am not. I do not like those ruts. Just like those ruts in the road, this complaining attitude works its way into my mind and heart and quickly spills out of my mouth.

I think it is ok to point out the difficult, unfortunate, and unhelpful things about a situation. But I like to temper it with anything positive. There may be nothing good about a circumstance, but there are still things to be thankful for. They do not have to be related at all to the challenging situation and sometimes they are not, because there are some hard, hard things that happen in life.

But I know God is working. And I am thankful for His daily gifts, for the people in my life, for His saving grace through Jesus. What is on your list of things to be thankful for? The key to becoming more thankful is to express more appreciation and “give thanks”.

What are you thankful for today?

Thank you for today…

There is so much to be thankful for.

And if I get stuck in a place where I can’t see it, I start to shrivel. This is why staying tethered to God is so important for me. If I lose sight of Him, I miss His perspective. Not that I ever truly have God’s point of view entirely, but when I am able to entrust Him with my day, my needs, and my concerns and know that He is taking care of the details, I can be thankful. When I get caught up in my concerns, I get lost.

As I start this day, I am thankful God goes before me. Whatever unfolds for the day, He is there with me and walks alongside me. When my heart believes this, I can look at the day as a gift to learn and grow, I can learn more about God and I can learn more about myself and the ways God is growing me.

Thank you, Lord, for today!

The gift of family

I have been gifted with some wonderful family members. While we certainly don’t all agree on everything, there are common bonds of family history and relatives. There are various degrees of genetic connection to these “relations” and, of course, there are some who have no genetic relationship but we are connected “in law”. There are some “in laws” who really know how to be family. What a blessing.

I am thankful to be surrounded by such diverse and wonderful people.

And then there are other folks who are not related to you by blood or law and yet they feel like all the good things about family. They are in your life because they choose to be. And, sometimes, they know us better than family. There is not an obligation to connect, it just is such a natural thing. A relationship so natural and frequent that sometimes the kids think they are cousins because of the amount of time together, and it just seemed easier to have them referred to using something more familiar like “Aunt Mary” and “Uncle Don” instead of the more formal “Mr. ________ or Mrs. ________”.

I am thankful for the people I love in my life, whether or not we are technically related. God seems to bring just who I need in my life at just the right time.

Searching…

A while back I noticed something that I had liked to wear was nowhere to be found. When I tried to recall the last time I wore it, I couldn’t remember. When did it disappear? How could something I wear on the regular just vaporize? What a mystery!

Off and on I have thought about this item, but not ever long enough to stop what I was doing and go on the hunt for it to track it down. It just popped in my mind and seemed to leave almost as quickly. But then I really started to get curious about it. Where could it be? So I asked my youngest daughter. She remembered it — it was just a sweater — but she hadn’t seen it.

At this point, my desire to pinpoint the location of this item stepped more into the limelight. I went through the hanging clothes in my closet, one by one. I looked on the floor of the closet to see if it fell off the hanger. And I checked my coat-turned-sweater rack. Nope.

But, the other day, I was packing for an event and went hunting for some tablecloths. Thankfully, I had remembered seeing them while doing something else so I knew exactly where they were. But while I was gathering that stuff, I noticed something else that I could use for the event and then, low and behold, there was that missing sweater. Woohoo! I retraced how it got to that spot and it made perfect sense. Another person was involved and it boiled down to I was going to deal with that box later and later was much later than I intended.

This is just a little example of how my brain works and it really isn’t the main focus of the story. The human brain is buzzing with so many things and keeping something and someone “top of mind” is often a challenge.

But God….

He doesn’t get distracted or waylaid in His search for His sheep. He is not forgetful. He is not late. He is always available, eager to communicate. There is no need to make an appointment or “get ready” to meet with Him. As much as a human loves and cares for you, God operates at another level. The process of me seeking this crazy sweater just happened to remind me that God is and has always been there.

Thank you, Father, for meeting me, wherever I am!

Danke Thank you

I enjoy learning about the flavors, styles, and sounds of other ethnic cultures! I was around a lot of people originating from other nations throughout my childhood and it made such a positive impact on me.

And, since I married a guy with Dutch and German heritage, I am blessed to learn more about that part of our family’s history.

So, thank you, Lord, for all the people around the world. I have so much to learn about how and why different cultures do the things they do. And there is a world of food and folk art out there to explore. You have gifted us with amazing minds that can invent creative solutions, celebrate, communicate, and find beauty where it might not be immediately evident.

And thank you for the gorgeous sunrise this morning! Your creative work is all around me!

Köszönöm – Thank you

There are so many ways to express thanks. Köszönöm means “I thank you” in Hungarian. And with that, I thank God for my ethnic heritage.

I hope you are able to thank God for yours as well! It’s fascinating that we carry our ethnicity within us — it’s passed to us through the generations in our DNA and those cultural habits that have survived life in a busy world. And we often end up passing these on within our family line, too

Sometimes we try to deny, avoid, or ignore our ethnic heritage. And that may be because of how we have been treated because of it or our own feelings of disdain for it for whatever reason. But, do a DNA test and you will see the facts.

You have been uniquely crafted by an amazing God. Your ethnic heritage is woven into you and shows up in your appearance. If your family maintained any ethnic traditions in your family then you might be drawn to certain accents, foods, music, or folk art. Maybe you grew up hearing the sounds of another language in your home due to your heritage.

My Hungarian heritage has absolutely contributed to who I am today. God can use anything and everything to deepen our understanding of who we are and why we are here. Start by thanking Him for His creative work — and that He created you!

🎶 And I just thank you Father for making me ME! 🎶

Thank you!

This morning I woke up at a decent time after sleeping through the night. My house has power. I had coffee to brew. I have running water. And I had 1/2 and 1/2 for my coffee! I often forget to appreciate these little things that have become so a part of my routine – I expect them to be there when I want them. Whatever would I have done if I lived 100 years ago? A lot more than I have to do today! I would be collecting the wood for the fire, drawing water from the well, and milking the cow for the cream in my coffee. Those activities are all blessings, too, they just aren’t a part of my day. But a good chunk of my day has been freed up by not doing those things, so what am I doing instead?

Heavenly Father,

It is so easy for me to get carried away by the tasks and responsibilities of this life and simply forget to thank you for the new day and the new possibilities that are a part of it.

Help me to notice all of your provisions today and give you thanks for them. Help me to use my time wisely!

Amen.

I’m always learning

There are learning opportunities all around. Sometimes, what looks like one lesson for you is an entirely different lesson for someone else. It all depends on perspective.

For example, I have just been processing a situation where I was not “present or available” for a friend a few years ago during an extremely difficult time. It’s a long story, but I was privy to some information about one of her kids that was public information but, you know how that goes, just because it is technically “public” doesn’t mean that everyone knows about it and it often means that you sure wish it was private because it is so dang personal and gut-wrenching and you know people you love and care about are struggling with a difficult situation.

I was aware. And for whatever reason, I did not call. Of course, I know some of the reasons. As I look back on that time, life was pretty chaotic for me. When I learned of the struggle I thought “Ohhhh my. This is a toughie.” And I committed to praying for them. I don’t feel like I rejected God who pointed me towards her at every turn. I just committed to praying for the family. But, I do wonder if my awareness was an invitation to be involved — in fact it bothers me to think that I blew God off. However, I was quite oblivious. And the world was just beginning to shut down due to Covid. And, you know, life was crazy at our house. But, I should have at least reached out.

But what does one even say? I know, “I am so sorry. How can I pray for you?” might have been a good start.

While prayer was something they needed, for sure. They also needed people surrounding them and speaking God’s Truth into their lives.

I was not that person.

And still, they had a core group of people who helped carry them through. Why? Because God orchestrates and utilizes and provides in ways we do not always know or understand.

The right people were there and they became the hands and feet of Jesus for them.

There are so many takeaways here, but the main one is that God will provide. He will make a way where there seems to be no way. God is the one to count on.

So, whether you are the friend who is unable to be there during a critical time for another due to finances, distance, or emotional capacity or you are the person in the middle of a crisis and you are looking around for those who know and love you and you cannot figure out why certain people are not there for you, you need to trust that God knows you. God knows your capacity. God knows your needs. God will provide you with the resources that will help you take the next step. Those you expect to be there may not be the ones God wants in the mix. In the end, it is always God who provides at the right time in the best way. He calls and enlightens us through His Word and the Holy Spirit. And He provides beyond our expectations.

It is always God who provides.

Grace, grace. God’s grace. May you see God’s grace and provision in your life. These provisions may not look the way you expect them to, but you can be sure God will give you the tools you need to move forward. The road may be difficult. There will be days you are discouraged. But God is by your side every step of the way.

I can’t always be there

As much as I would love to be that person who can rush in and be present for every high and low, I cannot commit to that.

And I cannot expect others to be, either. There are times when we have to go it alone or accept the help from those that are right there at the moment of need. Our situations are no surprise to God. And He often places those people who can love and serve us directly in our space for reasons we cannot understand, except that He is God and He knows what He is doing.

He is always there.

Even when we have to “go it alone”, God is right there. And often leaning into Him is the way to make progress, even if that feels counterintuitive.

God with is – Immanuel. He guides and protects and sustains us. He gives us what we need. His grace is all sufficient. Accept His presence and His gifts.

I can’t do it all

And, furthermore, I wasn’t designed to. What a relief!

Our culture and sinful nature pushes us to be independent. And that often even means independent from God. It isn’t sustainable. And the isolation becomes unbearable.

Being in community means being connected to others. There is beauty and vulnerability in sharing burdens and blessings, disappointments and joys.

A community doesn’t need to be a huge group of people. It can be just a couple people you can share your heart with. They might be family members, but not always. They might live close by or they might live far away.

But even better than the human community is communion and connection with God! He is always available. He always hears us. He has shared His wisdom through His Word and can transform our hearts and minds and experiences.

I have no desire to do it all. I am only here to do my part. I seek God’s wisdom and grace and gentle leading in the paths I should go.