Giving Thanks Daily: Day 684 of Giving Thanks

September 21st, Day 684 of Giving Thanks
Writing for me is a canvas – sometimes I begin with a blank canvas, other times I add layers to another. My tools are made up of many things; from what I see, learn, sense or hear. As I go through each day, beginning with quiet time, prayer and reading, I am prompted to write, receive or find a certain scripture. But the greatest of all the tools is the mind. Some days the canvas appears to be a hot mess (as my daughter would say). Some days, it is simple, clean and very well stated. Today as I began, I thought and prayed about many things. I will let you guess where I landed today.

I remember days of feeling defeated before I began, today wasn’t that feeling, but I really had to fight to keep pressing in to the day. Even before I could begin, I had a sense of uneasiness, as though I was walking, and what was under my feet was keeping me from moving forward. I have “felt” this way for the past few days. So I prayed. And, worked diligently to remember - today, hold every thought captive His word is essential to my development and your growth, His word is perfect for me, because I am precious to Him. How could I have anything but a great day with that attitude?

"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." ~2 Corinthians 10:5 (New International Version)

And, I settled in to the tasks of the day – productivity at it’s best.

I had a moment, a brief undesired moment where I started to grumble and complain, not out loud, but in my heart and in my thoughts… “STOP!” I thought, jolting me back. Then it hit me – do you think that when all of humanity's sin was given to Jesus as He died on the cross, that everything, including our grumbling and complaining broke His heart with stabbing pain over and over?

And, I could feel that jolt again, “Remove your grumbling!” He already took it on for me, so why would I keep giving it to Him over and over? LORD help me in this daily walk of being grateful!

Thank You LORD, that I can delight in You. That I can know joy because of You. That I am "so many things" because of You.

Then I remembered the words of a friend in paraphrased version: “How He speaks to us as individuals is completely different. We are all created the same - in His image, but developed differently in our minds. God is a God of imagination. He has given us (me) the power to think. The Holy Spirit will give us (me) guidance and direction. But we (I) have to act, trust and desire. The imagination is worked out through thought... imagine often and greatly." From the depths of my mind, as inspired by Ron Mcintyre

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” ~Mark 11:24-25 (New International Version)

There is a fight going on, that I cannot always understand, but I am grateful that I do not have to fight, for He does it for me. But there is only one finished masterpiece I see, and that is the one where I stand before my King and know deeply that is where I belonged all along.

"He loves me the way I am and loves me enough to help me change." ~Me, day 642 of Giving Thanks Daily

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” ~Ephesians 2:10 (New Living Translation)

I am grateful for this life saved by God, and this life that is given by my God who is passionate about loving me and seeing me whole. Broken to be repaired by a mighty God, that's the hope.

‎"Mighty armies alone cannot win wars for a king; great strength by itself cannot keep a soldier safe. In war the strength of a horse cannot be trusted to take you to safety. But the LORD watches over all who honor him and trust his kindness." ~Psalm 33:16-18 (Common English Version)