Gratitude

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
Colossians 4:2


Disrupted < interrupt (an event, activity, or process) by causing a disturbance or a problem.

Gee, does this sound familiar? We are a disrupted society right now. Every news story we see is about the current disruption of our lives, or the disruptions to come. All of this disruption can cause anxiety and fear. What if we, as Christians, pick a different emotion to focus on; gratitude. I do not say this flippantly. The needs in our communities are huge. People's actual lives are at risk, both physically and economically, not to mention our social and emotional health. But what if we, as Christians, choose to live in gratitude for today and hope for tomorrow doing exactly what Colossians 4:2 says?..."devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."

Many of you know I lost my daughter to suicide about 3 and 1/2 years ago. Since Madison's death my own personal battle with gratitude and hope has been a wild ride. One lesson I have learned is that true gratitude is a precursor to hope. On my darkest days, when I reach out to God in gratitude for what I still have, He gives me a hope for the future. This gratitude and hope is not something I can artificially manufacture. My gratitude comes from a God who sent His son to die on the cross for me. My hope comes from that same God who says nothing can separate me from His love (Romans 8:38). People of courage, of strength, or of survival, all have one thing in common. They don't want you to feel pity for them, they want you to recognize the life you have been given and be thankful for it. Our lives might look different, some scarred more than others, but the underlying commonality is that we have a gracious and good God. Tell Him thank you. Look for the 'God moments' in our crazy, disrupted lives. "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation; be constant in prayer. (Romans 12:12)


Practice; take a moment and write down where you've seen 'God moments' in this time of disruption.
How does this bring you hope?

Blessings, Elaina Myers

1 Comment


Wendy - October 1st, 2020 at 10:37am

Thanks... my God moment everywhere... but especially in my visits with fellow believers who continue to trust and encourage, Like meeting a friend at Starbucks.....💜