A\u00a0friend told me how uplifting she found it, to name three things every day that she was thankful for. How it turned her eyes to God’s goodness and filled her heart with unexpected joy. Her story was like a light shining into my week turned burdened and gray with the dust of this world…\u00a0the way window get grimy with everyday accumulation, until the sun’s rays only illuminate\u00a0all the dirt getting in the way of seeing.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her words reminded me that I used to give thanks every day and that I had stopped for some reason. It reminded me of Paul’s injunction to the Christ-followers of centuries past:\u00a0“…be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5:19-20) <\/em>He understood how\u00a0we need to do that for one another, to call each other back to truth and thankfulness and right thinking, almost constantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And the thing is, I know<\/em> the slow soul-drain of fixing my eyes on what is immediately before me– the microscopic view of\u00a0my\u00a0little world with only this life in mind, and how very wearying that is. I’ve been here many times before, and by now I know the only remedy is to\u00a0“turn [my] eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.” (Helen Lemmel)<\/em>\u00a0I should know this inside and out by now. So how is it that I can find myself here again, in need of a heart-check?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n When I am counting His blessings, tuning my heart to sing His praise, that is when I am most happy; that is when my soul feels most alive; that is when I can look ahead with hope for whatever comes.\u00a0Looking back over the days, it’s hard to pinpoint when I stopped remembering to give thanks, and why exactly–\u00a0although I do remember\u00a0a delusional moment of self-congratulation, in which I thought the habit of thankfulness so well-worn it needed no more daily discipline. If there was a turning point, that was probably\u00a0one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I can see that whenever we are\u00a0most satisfied with where we are, we are most\u00a0in danger of losing\u00a0focus.\u00a0We\u00a0need others around us: to hear each other’s stories, see each other’s growth, allow the grace that flows from the gifts of others into our own lives. We need them to sing songs of worship to us, speak the truth of Scripture to us, pull us into serving others. This is what keeps us growing and moving forward. This is what reminds us to give thanks for every precious gift from above. Like the Church-planter Paul says, “…Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body…when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” (Ephesians 4:15-16)<\/em> There really is no substitute for this kind of community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whenever we are isolated from the rest of the Body, whether by circumstances or choices, we become\u00a0handicapped in our growth. We need the prayers and encouragement of others, to remind us of who we are and where we are going– to remind us that all is grace, in the end. Living in community\u00a0helps us to regularly wipe away the dust and grime of everyday living, so that\u00a0God’s light can\u00a0shine through more clearly. Living in community helps to keep\u00a0us on track in this faith-race, speaking the\u00a0Truth to one another in every way possible, so that no one gets lost along the way, or gets left behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So this week I am getting back to the basics, and counting what I am thankful for, once again. First on the list is this community of Christ-followers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ~~~~~~~<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are people who take the heart out of you, and there are people who put it back.<\/em><\/p>Elizabeth David<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n ~~~~~~<\/p>\n\n\n\n And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. <\/em><\/p>Hebrews 10:24<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A\u00a0friend told me how uplifting she found it, to name three things every day that she was thankful for. How it turned her eyes to God’s goodness and filled her heart with unexpected joy. Her story was like a light … Continue reading