January 18, 2009
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In EVERYTHING give thanks
Our little family was sitting around the dinner table the other night having family devotions. That night’s devotion was entitled “In everything give thanks.” It talked about giving thanks not just for the good things, but even for the bad and hard things. Ouch. Josh and I looked at each as we read this devotional written on the level of a 4-year-old. We try to drill such things into Ainsley’s head all the time; to be thankful, be grateful, for everything even if it’s something she doesn’t like for dinner, etc. But what about me? I certainly haven’t been very thankful lately.
I Thessalonians 5:18
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.I don’t think God expects me to be thankful that I miscarried for a second time. But I do believe He expects me to be thankful for other things surrounding it. I started thinking about ways God has worked even through this last month. One thing that came quickly to my mind was that with both the babies I lost God engineered a way to have my husband there with me when I heard the news. Both times I could have easily been alone, but God took care of seemingly little details to protect me from being alone or having to drive home after hearing such awful news. Since we found out, I have been anxious about being in certain situations or seeing certain people, and each time God has taken care of the situation so that I had no need to worry. God gave me a good friend to lean on who knows my pain and can tell me that I will be ok. Even though it was difficult to have all this happen over the holidays, I think it might have been good to have the distraction, the trip, and my husband home quite a bit.
Even as I have been trying to find more things to be thankful for, Satan seems determined to rob me of that. Josh will likely be laid off by the end of the month. It is pretty much a sure thing, the pink slip just hasn’t been placed in his hand yet. We are praying some kind of miracle happens, and we ask that you lift us up in prayer, too, but we know that God will provide. Will I be thankful even when my husband doesn’t have a job? I hope so.
My gratitude attitude has helped as I dealt with the children the rest of the week. I have been so short-tempered with them lately. I had such a good time with them on Friday. It was frigid and our car was in the shop, so we were definitely staying inside. My aunt gave Ainsley a book of all kinds of fairy crafts to make and a children’s cookbook for Christmas. We spent hours Friday morning making fairy crowns and magic wands. It was so much fun to just spend the day with them and do girlie things. We also made a chocolate cake from scratch from the children’s cookbook.
And since they’ve been absent from my blog lately, here’s my precious miracles, my girls with their fairy crowns and magic wands. They are always pretending they are ponies right now (go figure) and ponies would have to carry their magic wands in their mouths, of course, hence the wands in their mouths.
Now those two are something to be thankful for.
Comments (11)
Very Sweet “pony” girls indeed!
I know what you mean about giving thanks in everything…it’s just hard. I’m struggling with it daily. I hope and pray Josh doesn’t get laid off. Keep us posted. Love, Trish
(Hmm – something happened to my comment – it disappeared. Weird.)
Thanks for sharing how God is refining and healing you. It has been a blessing to read something so open and honest. I am praying for you today – that you have another wonderful day with your gorgeous girlies. They are so precious!
Cute cute fairy ponies! Even without having gone through what you are going through, I find this post a great reminder of how I need to have more gratitude too…thanks for sharing and causing me to ponder.
I am thankful for how the Lord is working in you and in your life…. He will take care of you no matter what happens….we will be praying for you about the job situation.
I need a lesson in this too. So many times I gripe and complain when I should be being thankful. I pray Josh does not loose his job. Your two daughters are so cute in their fairy picture. They make me smile and I am thankful for that!
Great lesson for kids…and ME! I love the new picture of the girls! They are simply adorable!
Your girls are such cuties! We do have so much to be thankful for and I forget these things on many occasions(like having no heat).
I am going to look you up on Facebook-have a great day! Julie
Praying for you in the job situation. Everyone is effected by the lay off’s. Not to minimalize the drastic ways it will effect you and your family–we’re just in the similar boat. it’s a scary thing to see the money you’ve worked so hard to save keep dwindling because of such a cut in pay . . . Your girls are so cute! They’re getting so big! We all have so so much to be thankful for. I struggle with finding gratitude constantly and this post has been an encouragment to me! Thank you!
You reminded me recently to be grateful in everything, and I have been meditating on that verse ever since. Thank you, Cathi, for this challenging testimony and for your sweet encouragement to seek the Lord each day.
Thanks for dropping over … know that I’m continuing to hold you all up in prayer, Cathi! The Lord has been teaching me about having a grateful heart, in whatever situation, or circumstance, that I find myself going through, and it’s not always easy to do that, but this is such an encouraging post! I’ll also be praying for your husband’s job situation. If you lived closer, he could work for my husband … he did such a fine job laying that new floor in your home!
I know the Lord will provide for your family! My husband’s been off work with that ankle, but the Lord provided through his workmen’s comp! He’s slowly getting back to work now, but he still has to be careful. The girls look so adorable! It sounds like you had a wonderful day with them … keep making those special memories together! <><