Habakkuk 3:17-18
Though the fig tree should not blossom And there be no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail And the fields produce no food, Though the flock should be cut off from the fold And there be no cattle in the stalls, Yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.…
I have been thinking a lot about gratitude. What am I grateful for? I have a big list: God, family, friends, rivers, sunrise, sunset, animals, oceans, rivers, mountains, blue skies, rainclouds, rainbows, trees, flowers, art, writing, purpose, dreams, new haircuts....
The list is endless. I don't always remember how much I am thankful for, however. I often think instead of what I am not thankful for.
In a nutshell, it is this: Everything God has given me in this world can be lost.
None of it is given to me permanently, despite how tightly I cling to it. Not my home, my marriage, my kids, my health, my parents, my friends, my finances, my dogs...All of it will pass away.
Ever since I was a tiny child my gratitude has been tempered with an agonizing awareness of the angst, the pain of ultimately losing everything I love. We all will. Some earlier in life than others, but ultimately nothing on our list remains in the end...
...except God.
A relationship with Him. If we want it, it is ours. For eternity. It can never be lost. It will not be revoked.
True gratitude is based on this and this alone. All we are given is through Him, but everything on earth is to be enjoyed only for a season. He is the source of all we are given, and one day it will all be removed, except Him. God alone remains.
I am grateful that I am inexplicably loved by the Creator of the Universe and one day, will return to Him and all understanding will finally be mine.
Happy Thanksgiving.
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