The obligatory Thanksgiving blog.....or not.....
We had our Thanksgiving Eve church service tonight. I struggled to stay present in the service and listen to the testimonies of God's faithfulness through sickness, loss,and challenge from saints within our church family. Precious was tired and clingy and hungry and restless. Josiah was clingy and impatient.....and church was hot.....and I had a hot flash. Seriously. Thanks so much biology. Hot flashes at 7:30 pm, in November, with 2 little children hanging on me.....trying to feel......thankful.
I am thankful. So, so, thankful. I have so much to be thankful for....and I thank the Lord often for all of my blessings and favor, I do. Tonight, I sang the songs and prayed the prayers and listened to our pastor's challenge to consider the glass half full, the glass half empty and the cup that runs over.
I know my cup runs over. Every day. I live the cup that runs over, from the moment I wake up until I fall asleep. My cup runs over and over and over.....and my jar of oil never runs dry. I live expectantly for that because the faithfulness of God says it is so.
We never have enough of the things of the world. Not enough money, or time, or patience, or talent, or energy. Every moment of every day in the Lord's Kingdom and.....in my world, in my family, in my home.....we have abundantly more than we could ever ask or imagine.
I am not afraid to consider that we may host another exchange student next year, or take in a single mom and her children, or adopt a sibling set of 5 from foster care. I'm really not. I dream of such things......My cup runs over for a reason. I am not afraid to raid my own pantry for food staples to bring to a young mom in need, or to give part of my paycheck to a struggling pregnant girl. My cup runs over for a reason. I will buy lunch for my friends, and I will plan extravagant Christmas celebration, and I will host a good dinner party for my mom's birthday and I will buy holiday decorations.....because my cup runs over. It does.
Even when I am yawning in church because I am exhausted, and I am fretting about money, and I am mad that our kids don't help around the house,... my cup runs over. When I am praying and hoping that everyone who asked for help making Christmas happen in their homes can have it...and believing in the "santa" spirit of everyone I know to help....my cup runs over.
When I fix my eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith.....because this is my life verse (Hebrews 12:2) and pastor said it several times.....when I fix my eyes on Jesus in the midst of the chaos and noise of my days.....I can almost see Him smiling as he pours His living water into my cup.....and his eyes laugh as the cup runs over.....because He loves to spill beyond the rim of our lives.
I think that having a cup that runs over means that Jesus himself isn't afraid of things getting messy or not fitting nicely into each other. Oh goodness, does that ever give me pause....and peace....and joy.
Lord Jesus of Heaven and Earth.....tonight I am mostly thankful for you and even in the hot mess of my life, you are smiling, and pouring into my cup every moment. I am so blessed.
I am thankful. So, so, thankful. I have so much to be thankful for....and I thank the Lord often for all of my blessings and favor, I do. Tonight, I sang the songs and prayed the prayers and listened to our pastor's challenge to consider the glass half full, the glass half empty and the cup that runs over.
I know my cup runs over. Every day. I live the cup that runs over, from the moment I wake up until I fall asleep. My cup runs over and over and over.....and my jar of oil never runs dry. I live expectantly for that because the faithfulness of God says it is so.
We never have enough of the things of the world. Not enough money, or time, or patience, or talent, or energy. Every moment of every day in the Lord's Kingdom and.....in my world, in my family, in my home.....we have abundantly more than we could ever ask or imagine.
I am not afraid to consider that we may host another exchange student next year, or take in a single mom and her children, or adopt a sibling set of 5 from foster care. I'm really not. I dream of such things......My cup runs over for a reason. I am not afraid to raid my own pantry for food staples to bring to a young mom in need, or to give part of my paycheck to a struggling pregnant girl. My cup runs over for a reason. I will buy lunch for my friends, and I will plan extravagant Christmas celebration, and I will host a good dinner party for my mom's birthday and I will buy holiday decorations.....because my cup runs over. It does.
Even when I am yawning in church because I am exhausted, and I am fretting about money, and I am mad that our kids don't help around the house,... my cup runs over. When I am praying and hoping that everyone who asked for help making Christmas happen in their homes can have it...and believing in the "santa" spirit of everyone I know to help....my cup runs over.
When I fix my eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith.....because this is my life verse (Hebrews 12:2) and pastor said it several times.....when I fix my eyes on Jesus in the midst of the chaos and noise of my days.....I can almost see Him smiling as he pours His living water into my cup.....and his eyes laugh as the cup runs over.....because He loves to spill beyond the rim of our lives.
I think that having a cup that runs over means that Jesus himself isn't afraid of things getting messy or not fitting nicely into each other. Oh goodness, does that ever give me pause....and peace....and joy.
Lord Jesus of Heaven and Earth.....tonight I am mostly thankful for you and even in the hot mess of my life, you are smiling, and pouring into my cup every moment. I am so blessed.
Comments
Post a Comment