unThankful

As I was sitting in church this past Sunday, the service was all about gratitude. I was thinking "seriously God, you have got to be kidding me." We had a time of sharing of what God was doing in others lives and how grateful everyone was. Then we sang "thankful" songs while I kept sitting there with a very un-Thankful heart. I did not want to be there. I felt like I was getting madder by the moment. Mad at God, mad at my situation, mad at the people sitting next to me, mad that the ivf didn't work, practically mad at the world. I was ashamed that I was feeling this way. I knew it was wrong and I knew my heart was not in a good place.
I sat there trying to think of 1 thing I was grateful for to try and snap myself out of it. I instead came up with 3. I was grateful for Marc, my family and my 3 frozen babies.
Then a girl whom i know began to sing this song. Talk about snap you out of it...

Blessings by Laura Story

We pray for blessings
We pray for peaceComfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our sufferingAll the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate pleaAnd long that we'd have faith to believe
'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise

Courtesy of lyricshall.com

Talk about powerful. I think I may read those lyrics everyday I wake up. Knowing His mercies are in disguise changes my train of thought a little lot.

For that, I am no longer un-Thankful but very Thankful that he still loves and is still near to me for when I stray.

Clenching Fists

Last week at our staff chapel, Chip J. was speaking to our staff. {side note, I'm blessed to work at a place that allows us to have a time of worship and encouragement once a month.} So since this was our meeting for November, it was all about Thankfulness.
I feel like its kind of cliche to have an attitude of thankfulnesss just for the month of November. Chip had a great point, he said that whenever we are in a yucky situation or a not-so-fun season of life, to just stop, clinch your fist, and start counting 10 things you are immediately thankful for. This is a great concept for when you are having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, or month or year.

So here are my 10 things that right now I am grateful for:
1. Marc (especially thankful he made it back from India safely)
2. My family, (on both sides)
3. Vacation (that I get to go on soon w/ my mom!)
4. My job
5. Marc's job
6. food & water
7. my amazing friends
8. my community group
9. my church and community
10. heat!


So what are you thankful for these days?