“…AND BE THANKFUL.”

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Colossians 3:15

“Be Thankful”

 

“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful.”

In the first part of 2020, life was just sliding along, as it always does.  A little happy here, a little sad there.  One foot in front of the other.  Life goes on.  And then, BOOM!  Covid came along and threw all of our lives “into a cocked hat,” as my mother used to say.

So, here I am, opening the Bible at random, as I do on a fairly regular basis.  And what do I find?  This.  Holy cow.  Be thankful?  Really?  People are dropping like flies, there is rioting in the streets, people are losing their jobs, the government is in a shambles, our lives are falling apart at the seams, and we’re supposed to be thankful?

As I look more closely at this verse, I see it not so much as a directive, but as an invitation.  A beckoning, a call to stop, stand still, breathe, let the peace of Christ fill us, no matter how dire our situation may be.
When I look at my life, I have much to be thankful for. God continues to care for me. He is opening the appropriate doors for me. He is screwing my head back on straight so that I can make decisions with it, instead of running about in all directions, wringing my hands, and crying “what do I do?” That alone is enough to be thankful for.

I am thankful, of course, for the usual things, the tangible things: a place to live, my health, my family and friends, my dog, financial income (small though it may be), my church. And God shines there, of course. But I think where God really shines is in the intangible things we cannot see, but only feel and know in our hearts.

God shines in a blessed night’s sleep after finally making a decision. He shines in the feeling of peace one gets in church, singing His praises. He shines when we remember and truly know Jesus Christ as our Lord, and not just Someone we hear about on Sunday. God shines when we recognize that He is with us every second of every day, and that He watches over us all the time, even when we are being idiots, or making foolish choices.

Early morning, and outside my window I heard a bird singing; another blessing.  Gracie Jean was lying in her bed on the loveseat, perfectly content in her role as “dog.” This may be off topic a bit, but I wonder why we cannot be as content in our own roles as simply “God’s children?” We climb the corporate ladder, we run about grasping this, that and the other thing. We do, do, do. When do we stop? When do we stop and just pause in our hurried flight through this thing we call life and just take a moment to be thankful for the love of God?

So, this morning, Lord, thank You. Thank You that You love me. Thank you “for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for Your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Thank You for these moments of calm, of peace, of knowing that You are with me, no matter where my path may lead next.  Thank You, Lord. Thank You for family, for friends, for opening the doors I’m supposed to walk through.

Thank You for love.

Blessings, Phoenix