Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. PSALM 100:4 (NIV)
Today - I'm thankful for YOU.
You, Fellow Wait-er have made this one of the most incredible years of my life. Thank you for reading my little words and sharing them with your world. I am more grateful than you can imagine. ♡
Today's post is something I've never done. I'm pulling an entry directly from Waiting On Wonders, 40 Days of Wonder Devotional titled "Gratitude". I hope you love it as you read (or re-read) and reflect on God's presence in your everyday lives.
May you be found today raising your hands in gratitude to your creator.
My heart is full because of you,
-TLB ✨
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When my children were small, we memorized Psalm 100 as a family. It was very cute to listen to a two-year-old saying “give fanks to Him and pwaise His name” and mispronounce most of the words. In the process of having them memorize it, my husband and I memorized it too. It is now one of my favorite passages in the Bible, and I particularly love verse 4 that encourages us to give thanks and praise.
It is an encouragement to me to be thankful for things I love; my family, my church, my friends. It’s also a reminder to be thankful for things I don’t as easily say “thank you” for: trials I don’t want to face and moments when I have no idea what to do.
The Bible calls this a sacrifice of praise. It hurts to give it—and it’s costly. But it’s that kind of thank you that unlocks God’s presence in an incredible way.
It’s a thank you of surrender, a thank you of remembering God’s faithfulness in the past, even though you can’t yet trace His hand today.
In The Message version, Psalm 100 reads,
"Enter with the password: “Thank you!” Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank Him. Worship Him."
No matter your circumstance, the password to His presence is “Thank You.”
Today, I’m thinking about that harder kind of thankfulness, when life has been, well, extra.
In my experience, shifting our perspective, even for a moment, on the small things helps me to assess the larger, more painful things with a different kind of gratitude. So, I’m hoping to spin thankfulness on its head and shift the perspective on what it means to be thankful.
I’m thankful for:
Laundry that doesn’t stop: because it means that my family has clothes to wear, no matter how smelly.
Dishes that pile up and take on a life of their own: because it means that my family has food to eat.
Bills that come out of nowhere: because it means that we have an opportunity to see God show up, even when the numbers don’t make sense.
Making beds and changing sheets (and learning to fold the fitted ones): because it means we have a warm, soft place to rest at night.
A slightly dented-in garage door that makes the worst noise you’ve ever heard: because when it goes up, it means my husband is about to walk through the door.
The years of picking up toys: because it means I have two boys who have brought me more joy than I could ever express. (And because I don’t get to do it anymore, I really do miss it.)
These are things I can grumble about and miss the opportunity to be thankful for, or they can be daily reminders of God’s presence, goodness, and faithfulness in my life in so many ways.
✨ HOW WE WAIT TODAY
Gratitude starts with a “thank you.” We might be in a season where we sense the Lord’s favor and blessing, or we might be in the most challenging year of our lives. Regardless, let’s be grateful people, as we remember God is still worthy of all praise and thanks in everything. Staying grateful is the key to His presence. What can you say “thank you” for today?
((Want to read more from Tara and more about hearing God in everyday moments? Pick up your copy of Waiting On Wonders, 40-Days of Wonder Devotional at Amazon or get a signed, jacketed hardback special edition copy HERE ✨
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