Thankful Thursday

As this Thanksgiving Day comes to a close, I am reading all my favorite blogs.  What a joy it is to read about the joy and gratitude in the words of friends and favorites.  Even in a few blogs, I read about the struggles in finding things to be thankful about in times of pain, but still the heart desires to be thankful to God and to search for His will in and for all circumstances. 

One of my favorites is, of course, Angie Smith's Bring the Rain.  Her post gripped my heart as she has such a real and transparent way with words.  You can't go wrong reading her Redeemed post and you can even leave an anonymous comment if you want to.

Then I read Chip Ingram's Keep Pressin' Ahead blog post entitled Thanksgiving--a Serious Holiday? and there it was: the answer to all the comments posted on Angie's blog.  There is peace indescribable in knowing that God knows us and holds us and isn't shocked by our emotions and questions... that we're all in the process of being refined, by Him, as a diamond.  The only difference between us and a diamond is we sometimes slow & hinder the process by our rebellion and disobedience.. ouch.  We could learn from the diamond piece of coal:  be totally yielded to the Refiner and the process isn't as painful, even if our circumstances are painful.

I do so love my LORD and I tell Him over and over, "I trust You, LORD, I trust You."  Every time something arises that I question or don't understand, I pray I will always remember to tell Him, "I trust You."  I learned many years ago, but not before much grief, that it is my faith and trust in Him that pleases Him the most, regardless if I understand or not.  For after all, He made the plan for my life and He made it for my good so why shouldn't I trust Him.  It's not all about me.  It's about Him and how He uses things in my life to help someone else come to know Him as I know Him.  So if I had not experienced the pain in my life that I have, I would not be able to relate to so many people and help them to understand what I know about Jesus Christ.  That is why I am able to be thankful for EVERYTHING in my life, even the painful.  It's the painful things that caused me to run to Him only to find that when I turned to run to Him I ran smack dab into Him (BAM!) because He was right there with me all the time. 

I love you, LORD Jesus, and I thank You for everything in my life. I trust You.

Counting my blessings, naming them one by one.

(Will post pictures of today, tomorrow)