Thank you God!!

I'm sure some of you are wondering whether or not I've dropped off the face of the earth or not! But I assure you I'm alive and well...just incredibly busy! I have enjoyed stealing a few moments here and there to read all my favorite posts and even left a few comments here and there! So I hope my friends haven't given up on me!!


As I've thought about what to share today...what to be Thankful for...I decided I'd share something that happened last night and this morning. I had the opportunity to come across my old journals while cleaning out an old chest. I began writing in the spring of 1978 when I was 16. That fall I accepted Christ as Savior.

It was interesting sitting there reading through pages of memories, some very painful memories. There are a few things I saw. I wrote a lot about loneliness, unworthiness, feeling unloved, unwanted, afraid and hopeless. I wondered often if God could ever really love me, the way everyone said He did. I wondered if I'd ever find real acceptance, value or love.

I also noticed that regardless of how bad things got, how low I became that I was determined to trust in God.

I wanted so desperately to believe in Him and trust what He said in the Bible was true for ME. Over and over I would cry out to God to love me, forgive me, accept me, make me feel whole, pure and good.

It's been so long I had forgotten just how lost I was during those years after accepting Jesus. I realize now that I understood so very little. So much had happened prior to knowing God that I couldn't see God through any other lens other than shame.

As I thought about the past and my journey to here there is a profound thankfulness to God and what HE has done!

Amazing Grace that saved one such as me! I was lost but now am found, I was blind but now I see!

Redeeming love that so patiently and faithfully worked out everything in my life for good.

Every time I doubted, ran or pushed him away He stood there waiting for me.

When I couldn't see or feel His love He just continued to embrace me.

He has been so faithful to continue the refining process, and will continue until He sees His reflection.

I am so thankful that when He heard my cry HE brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and He sat me feet on footsteps firm. HE put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God!(Ps 40:1b-3a)

I am thankful that I can take refuge in God and need not be ashamed. It's His righteousness that delivers me and rescues me. I am thankful that I have hope continually in my God. I can praise Him for the mighty deeds He has done in my life! (PS 71)

I am thankful that I now know that all things DO work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose.

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