Thankfulness

Well, the Thanksgiving holiday has passed. It came quickly and left in the same way. I have to admit that I was dreading the big day. Everything is a "first" these days since Daddy died. And, with all of the other changes that have taken place this year, it's really hard to predict how things will go.

But I have to say that Thursday was a nice day. Our family was together. Yes, there was a huge void with Daddy's absence, but we chose to focus on what we still have and not just what we have lost. I was looking around the room and thinking that each of us, in our own unique ways, has experienced all kinds of loss and changes this past year. But in spite of that, we still have so much to be incredibly thankful for. And that's what I encouraged our family to remember.

God reminded me of that truth while I was in Cuba last week. Our mission trip was great. Thanks to everyone who prayed for us. We saw many people come to know the Lord. I was refreshed by the change in scenery and focus on ministry. I'm thankful for that.

One morning, as I was battling all the negative thoughts of loss that were running through my mind, God reminded me that it was time for me to focus on what I have rather than what I do not have. That direction from Him came as a real eye-opener because I realized how consumed my thoughts were with loss. Yes, many things have changed in my life this year and there has been a lot of loss.

But I still have SO MUCH for which to be thankful. I have an amazing daughter, a loving family, a warm, safe place to live, more than enough to eat, friends who care about me, and a loving, forgiving, gracious God who calls me His child and who loves me right where I am. I could go on and on with how blessed I am. But you get the picture, right?

And so God reminded me to praise Him for what I have and to let my mind dwell on His continued blessings and faithfulness. Thinking this way requires my attention minute-by-minute. But when I do dwell on thankfulness rather than the pain of the loss, I find peace for my mind and my soul. And, my outlook on the world around me is so much better.

So, I am thankful for many things in my life. The other thing that I am doing is that when my mind begins to stray into negative territory, I sing the words of the amazing song below. Take a moment and read it and be thankful.

Blessed Be Your Name
by Matt Redman
- - -
Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

Back to Cuba

I am headed back to Havana, Cuba on Friday, November 14. This is my fifth mission trip to the island since October, 2006. God has used the Cuban people to greatly impact my life and so I am really excited to return.

Please pray for us while we are there. I am leading a team of seven from Capstone Church. Everyone on the team has been before so that should make the trip easier.

I am anxious to see what conditions are like there. As you probably know, the island has been hit by three major hurricanes in the past couple of months. Most of them have struck south of the area where we will be working. From what I've read, the greatest impact on us will probably be food availability. The Cuban people are suffering through major food shortages. While we may only have to deal with it for one week, they are dealing with it daily. Please pray for them and that the government will work with whomever to get them the food they need.

This will be my first trip away from home since Dad passed away. No doubt a change of scenery will be good but part of me hates to leave my loved ones behind. Once you suddenly lose someone you love, the possibility of it happening again becomes very real. If you've been through it you know what I'm talking about. I trust God with it all but my human mind tells me otherwise. I choose to focus on the sufficiency of Christ.

So, please pray for us! We fly to Havana Friday morning and fly home Friday evening, Nov. 21. Pray for traveling safety and good health for the team members. And, pray that many will hear and respond to Jesus' message of love and grace that we will share.

I will post an update when I return. God bless and thanks for praying!

Restoration

It seems that a lot of the people around me are really struggling through some hard times. The recurring theme of conversations has been the issues of loss and disappointment and what is God doing and what does it all really mean and is life really supposed to be this way.

But just this week, my heart and mind have been reawakened to truth. There has been a ray of hope as I’ve prayed and read and listened for God’s voice in my life.

What God has revealed to me has been brutal. He told me that I have wallowed in all of this pain for long enough. In fact, He even showed me that I have been worshiping the pain instead of Him. I have allowed the pain to become what dominates my thoughts and anything that dominates our thoughts is what we worship.

That revelation really hurt. But once He showed it to me and I actually saw it for myself, I am now praying for and working on a shift in my focus --- away from thoughts of the loss, pain and bitterness, and back to the One who is able to heal and deliver me. This is a constant challenge and at this point I am failing more than I am succeeding. But I am praying and asking God to once again give me the mind of Christ, a mind that is focused on God and the promises that He has made to me.

One of my conversations took place on a thread on Facebook with four other people, three of whom I do not know. Everyone shared similar stories of pain and struggles and questions. Then someone posted two verses that opened up a new world of promise to me. It is Psalms 71:20-21:

“Though you have made me see troubles,
many and bitter,
you will restore my life again;
from the depths of the earth
you will again bring me up.
You will increase my honor
And comfort me once again.”

Isn’t that an amazing passage? Go back and read it again. The psalmist says that God brought the troubles into his life. That’s where this writer says they came from --- from God! We all struggle with the concept of God bringing pain into our lives. But whether you believe He allows it or causes it, we must not get stuck in the pain because the promise is not in the pain. The promise is in what comes next.

The psalmist writes that even though God brought the troubles into his life --- LOTS of painful and bitter troubles --- the psalmist knows that God WILL restore him, rescue him, increase his honor, and comfort him.

How can this guy be so confident? Because God had done it for him before! That’s why he used the word “again” three times in these two verses. This guy had experienced restoration and rescue and comfort many times before. And, since God did those things for him in the past, he is convinced that God is able to do all of them again.

God reminded me that He has done all of those things for me in the past as well AND that He will do the same for me again. That’s where my heart and my mind must be focused as I move forward. There is no limit to His love and grace and mercy for me. God is in the restoration business! He is the ultimate restorer who can take what’s broken and beaten up and make something spectacularly beautiful.

Like the psalmist, I am confident that God will restore my life again. He will bring me up again. He will increase my honor and comfort me once again because that’s how much love, grace and mercy He has for me. And, that's how much love, grace and mercy has for you.

Amen!