Give Thanks in all Things

. . . "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)

Wow! You found ten dollars in an old jacket pocket?! Fantastic! But then, it’s easy to give thanks for the positive things and for the lovely people who form your friendships. You have to take a little time to search for the blessings in the pile of junk that is sometimes dumped in your path and the miserable grumps who cluster about.

The blessing for which I give thanks is for my laryngitis! Yes, the close-your-mouth-there’s-nothing-coming-out kind of laryngitis. Why have I chosen to be thankful?

I am participating in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) in which the 268,003 novelists (so far) from around the world have accepted the challenge to write 50,000 words in the month of November! Where’s the blessing in that? Since I have laryngitis: I don’t have to answer the phone; I don’t have to engage in never-ending discussions; the house is really quiet - which is very conducive for writing! So - you can easily see my blessing in the laryngitis.

What are you calling an obstacle which could be re-labeled a blessing? Find the good in your negative circumstances and dwell on that. God can bring a blessing out of anything if you choose to look at it through God’s plan for you when you are in Christ! Let us pray:

"Holy Father, Love of the world, we bow before your holy name. May your kingdom and your plan for my life fall on me this day like a new baptism. May this be the day I learn to turn challenges and regret into joys. May I learn from my mistakes, find empathy in my grief, and motivation in my disappointments. Forgive me when I hang my head and mope when my plans have been thwarted. May your plans be my plans and my circumstances be your circumstances that I may find the joy of living in you and for you. In the precious and powerful name of your son, Jesus my redeemer, I pray. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."
Copyright 2013 Doris Gaines Rapp
See you at the Allen County 2013 Author Fair - Saturday, November 9 from noon to 4:00 pm!
Go to www.dorisgainesrapp.com for book signing events.