A Thankful Heart.

Thankfulness. What a bizarre word to use in the strangest time I have ever lived through. It feels almost inconsiderate to talk about being thankful when there is such REAL pain, devastation, and fear present in the world right now. People losing their loved ones, jobs, future plans, and so much more…

Fear/anxiety can be absolutely debilitating. One second, everything feels fine. And the next, you swear someone just laid a ton of bricks on your chest and the WHAT IFS start making their way in. And the slippery slope of fear can easily take over. But it doesn’t have to.

It is argued that the Bible discusses the topic of “not being fearful” up to 365 times throughout the Old and New Testament. Whether this is true or not (I have not, myself, gone through and counted), it is EVIDENT that our God knew we were a fearful people. He understood then and understands now that our little human brains are not capable of knowing and comprehending His plans and therefore tend to worry about what the future may hold. His “do not fear” commands are not out of anger; they’re out of love. I like to picture our Father scooping us up in His arms holding us close and whispering to his children that “He’s got us.” He is not surprised by the events of the world. He is not scared or doubting his Sovereignty. So why should we?

But how do we fight the fear when there is such uncertainty? There is no doubt that the events of today are cause for concern and require our attention to some degree. The only thing I have found to be beneficial in warding off those anxiety-bullets is to preach to myself of all the things I have to be thankful for. These blessings to be thankful for will vary among us, but regardless, they are there. Our God is present and is still working things for our good, even when it’s hard to see. As I’m sitting here typing, I’m thankful for: WAKING UP, my vanilla-flavored coffee sitting beside me, feeling the warm sun on my face, the health of my loved ones, the ability to work, and feeling my little baby boy kicking inside my belly.

Let us be a people like Paul and Silas. Not even prison could stop them from praising the Father that has the whole world in His all-powerful hands. If their praises can cause the prison walls to fall down, think of what our praise can do!!! (Acts 16:22-28)

What are you thankful for today?