Ther are distinct times in life that stand out like yesterday.....defining moments...lessens to learn. When God's voice is almost audible. The time , the place, the feel, even the smells are still distinct....37 years ago, we were living in a little place called , Jawbone Flats...some now call it Opal creek...it is a destinations spot now. Then, we were working there. Don was working on the geology of the area. Behind locked gates, in a pristine area of the Cascades.......giant cedars rose to the sky, little cabins- each with their own distinct feature....we had the one with the bathtub....sand piles for the children on which to play....trails, ....pelton wheel for electricity .....green, secluded and magnificent......
One day, we got a call on the satellite phone, that one of my grandparents had died....they never die....they will always be around....but no....
I had been reading through the Psalms about. Giving thanks......and. Philippians about giving thanks....
I just remember so distinctly, thinking, how do i give thanks when my grandparent has just died.......it was so clear....to give thanks is a pure act of will on my part...God will take care of the rest....the emotions
No, it wasn't easy...I loved my grandparents...I had known them and been around them all of my life, I wrote letters to them almost every week.
From there, I remember asking God to cultivate a grateful heart in all things....that I would be quicker to get to that grateful heart...to remember that He has a bigger picture and attempt to see things through His eyes....
None of the lessons along the way have been simple, easy....there have been unbearable hurts, tears, but, He brings me back to that moment in time when we had the conversation about .....in all things.....
Phil 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
1 Chronicles 16:34
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
Psalm 118:29
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Mark 8:6
He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people, and they did so.
In all things, give thanks.....
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