Sunday, January 01, 2012

Thankfulness ...re-examined.


My blog has been a friend to me for so many years. I started back in 2005, fresh out of a long relationship and after graduating with my Bachelor's Degree. I had no idea that 7 years later I would still be writing and would have my Master's Degree, a fantastic husband, 6 nieces and nephews, and be living back in Southern Indiana. God has certainly taken me on a journey these last 7 years. When I go back in the archives of this blog and read in 2005, 2006, etc... I realize that God has really guided my steps, grown me up, and changed me through the introspection of this blog. I am resolving to write much more in 2012 and get back to where I once was, reflecting on each day and all that God had me to learn. This blog has always been for me, but I have seen it really help others, change people's minds, and even deepen relationships in my life. I find it a place where I can be me. I don't mean the socially acceptable me that says the right things so to not ruffle feathers but the me that says it exactly how it is in my view. I do not claim to know it all or even have a handle on everything in MY life but I know that this blog has helped me realize growth and look back at the things God has done when I had questions before.

2012 for me has a major theme; living for Jesus. I have been a Christian for 17 years on January 19th. My life was radically changed and the process began but there is so much left to do. I want to worship him more, praise him more, be more thankful than I have ever been. I want to deepen my marriage, deepen my family relationships, be a better steward of all that He has given me. I want to find a place where I can give back to the world and show Jesus' love through acts of service and servant-hood. I want to give him my strongholds and trust that each thing he brings or does not bring into my life, is for His glory. I want to cherish each moment that I have with those I love and realize that I am here but for one purpose...TO BRING HIM GLORY!

Today my thoughts started about what we all think about in the New Year, newness. We all really like a do-over. We like a fresh start. We enjoy a Monday morning with our diet and thinking..."yeah the weekend was a bust, but it's Monday and I can do better." We all love opening that brand new planner and thinking, "This year, every appointment is going in here and I will manage my time better." We love taking the tags off of our new clothes and hanging them crisply in the closet and getting rid of things with holes and stains and seeing brightness and newness in our lives. We all like new!

In the Bible, there is a verse that brings me back to why we all like new. It is the way our lives were meant to be.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.

Our relationship with the Lord is the major place that we need to be NEW. It is so imperative as I walk through my resolutions and my major plans for the new year, that I remember that the OLD HAS GONE. That means, all of my plans to get healthy...gone. All of my failures in life, gone. All of my attempts at being organized, Gone. All of my nastiness and sin, Gone. All of my crappy wife days where I am irritable, grumpy and sensitive, GONE! The only way to be truly successful in life is to realize that we all "sin and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23 NIV) and that it is now NEW and that the old has gone! This doesn't mean we just stop sinning...nope...if you look the verse in Romans, sin is in the present tense. We don't stop sinning, we just stop having to be a slave to it.

This year, I am going to make my way through this year by staying in the now with my Lord. So many times, I have done something wrong and that has led me to distance myself from Him instead of run screaming back to the throne. I will remind myself that the OLD HAS GONE and that means, I can come to His arms and seek forgiveness and find out how to make it new. This year I have decided to take on a different approach to my thankfulness journal. I have kept a thankfulness journal in the past where as each day ends and I lay down to sleep, I jot down something that I am thankful to God for. It always started new and fresh and I was devoted to not just being thankful but praising God at the end of my day in response to that blessing. Through the year, my thankfulness waned and I would quickly jot down something like "I am thankful to God today for food to eat" and quickly go to bed. This year I am taking a different approach to really develop a spirit of Thanksgiving. My favorite verses about being thankful are these:

"Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:28 &29)

Just in case this isn't clear...here are some definitions to illustrate what our Thankfulness should really look like towards God. I know mine has never been to this level. This year, it is going to get there.

Reverence: Regard or treat with DEEP respect (emphasis mine)

Awe: A feeling of reverential (see above) respect mixed with fear or wonder.

I mean really? I definitely did not feel fear or wonder or deep respect as I quickly jotted down what I was thankful for to meet my daily quota and get to sleep or even worse, read the next chapter of Wicked. It is time to slow it down so here is the new year's plan. I am going to be using our modern technology to be more thankful and more mindful of God's greatness. I am going to be taking a picture each day with my camera or phone that reflects something I am deeply respectful to God for, something I am in fear or wonder over Him allowing in my life. There are so many of those things that I go day by day without noticing or vaguely noticing. I am ready to start my year by having Reverence and Awe toward my Lord.

Psalm 100:4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name

Happy 2012 to you and May you truly be thankful this year,

--E--


1 comment:

Jayne said...

I look forward to going with you on this journey!