Psalms 105 & 1 Thessalonians 5 is where I’m at today. In everything – give Thanks.

Sounds great huh?! Sounds easy. Give thanks. Also sounds like a thanksgiving Sunday message. Yet it’s spring time – and in March. So why bring this up now ?

As I was reading this morning- I thought of how I can give thanks now. There was a time in my life where “giving thanks” was not as easy to do.

The quote on the photo I wrote says “God is good all the time. All the time God is good.” . 7 years ago- I despised that quote. I couldn’t say it without gritting my teeth. I hated it when it would come out of people’s mouths. People who would tell me “have faith – God is good.” – “Don’t give up. God is good.”…. Been there ? Where everything sounds like fire to your skin when they speak. You feel like nothing is going good – yet they keep lighting your burnt spirit on fire again. And truth be known you want to say “this is rubbish” throw your hands in the air and walk away- without a care. Me too… I’ve been there…

I hate to say it now- but it has to be said. My story is painful. My walk has not been easy. My path has had hills, mountains, barracudas, jaguars, Mount Everest’s, Appalachian mountains, Smoky Mountains, Antarctica’s, rain forests, anacondas, rattlesnakes, and so much more . Now; I hope you know I’m speaking figuratively here. Yet in the spiritual realm I am not.

I have had journeys up the mighty Mississippi- loosing a paddle along the way. And I did not want to give thanks in all things right there . And if we’re honest with ourselves, that’s how life is. Our journey is not always full of sunshine and rainbows. Beautiful rose gardens that we can just bask in the sun. Most of the time it’s full of rain, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, hikes, Everest, and journeys down the Nile river. Life is the journey… Yet most of the time we’re enjoying it.

But God tells us to “enjoy the journey”. where is the beauty in the downfall of the rain? Where is the beauty in the tornadoes? How do you find Grace in a hurricane? How do you trust in an earthquake? How are we supposed to enjoy Mount Everest if we’re wearing a bathing suit and freezing cold. That is how the spiritual journey feels like. Yet God has us to trust. Trust in him that he is taking us where we are meant to be.

Seven years ago, I thought I was going to Hawaii spiritually . I was starting my family my son was about to be born. I thought it would be sunshine and rainbows and tropical weather. Yet spiritually I packed wrong. we were heading Antarctica wearing a Bathing suit. Now, if you would’ve seen me physically like I was dressed spiritually, I would have looked hideous.

That is why God tells us to always have on our armor. Because if you were dressed in a bathing suit for battle – well, you’re just gonna die.. that is why every morning God tells us to dress accordingly. Every day we should wake up knowing spiritually, we should dress for a battle that we can rejoice and give thanks. When We are dressed accordingly, it’s easier to give God grace , to give God glory, and to give God praise.

In palms 105 the passage is about remembering who God. Remembering what God promised, Joseph, Abraham, Isaac, & Moses. What he promised, and how he gave it.. We should apply this to our life, what can you look back and see that God promised you and then gave you. When you look back, what do you see?

For me, I see the hurricane, but I also see the Grace within it. I see the tornado. I also see how God didn’t let it destroy everything. I see the earthquake.. but I see God didn’t shake down all of the trees. I see the volcano, but yet I see the beauty of the lava that formed and shaped new land on my spiritual island. Now when I see the roses, I can actually enjoy their beauty and their fragrance. Now when I bask in the sun, I can actually praise the one who made that sun. Made my son. One who is now in heaven.

I have always called Rhett my sunshine. But if you stop to think where the sun is, it’s high in the sky. The sun has to be up there for it to shine it down to make things grow. Figuratively speaking Rhett is like that sun. My son, is with the ONLY SON, shining his light down upon me.

The Bible never states that Christians will never go through trials . It’s quite the opposite… it states that we will go through trials. That is why over and over again you see broken people crying out to a holy God. That is why over and over. We are told to stay in prayer. to make sure you are dressed accordingly for battle; to make sure you can give praise and all things. It’s a lesson I had to learn. I wish I could write that I have all of the answers. I know why everything in my life had to happen. Unfortunately, that is not something I can tell you. I do not have all the answers. I still wonder. I still what if. And I know all of the days in my life on this earth, I will still have those questions. But I am also told that I don’t need to worry about those answers.. what I need to focus on is the one who knows it all… God. I place my focus there – praise, prayer, rejoicing, and giving thanks comes easy.

So giving thanks is not just for in the moment. You need to look back on your life and remember the promise God has made you. Look back on your life and see the trials. God has brought you through. Then thanks and all things. And when you do that then you can give thanks to God.

And when you start to give, thanks- you’ll start to see things differently. Not only will start to see why things had to happen or why things didn’t happen; but you will see the future. You will start to focus on his coming…

1 Thessalonians 5; it talks about the day of the Lord, and when he comes. That is something we can rejoice about especially if you’re a Christian! If you’re not excited that one day, no more tears will be cried. No pain will be felt no fear no worries no cares no more death will happen. I don’t know what will make you rejoice more. Because heaven will be more than you can even fathom. it is a day for me personally, I look forward to. It’s not only a day that I will no longer have to live without Rhett, but I will forever live with God!

You see everybody says they want to go to heaven because their loved ones are there. and that is true… But we’re not just going to heaven for our loved ones. Our main reason for going to heaven is to rejoice with our father, our creator and our savior, forever and ever and ever amen. If that doesn’t make you want to go to heaven, then you’re wanting to go to heaven for the wrong reasons. Personally, at one point in time I had to readjust my view.. I was focusing purely on my son; when I had to readjust my sites to THE SON of GOD.

When you readjust your sights – rejoicing comes easier. Looking forward isn’t a chore? and putting on your armor is it as heavy as it once was.

No, I can say. God is good all the time all the time God is good… Now I can say this and believe it. Now I look back on those days and I see how much God has brought me. How much is grown me . How much he loved me. Looking back hindsight is always 2020.. looking forward it’s blurry but it’s bright!

I still struggle with day-to-day praise. I still struggle with putting my armor on. I still struggle to pray daily and read daily. But today I picked up my blog and decided to write again. It’s something I’ve been avoiding. It’s something I felt that was only a phase. But it’s not. God gave me an ability to be able to put things in words. and with that I will write. Sometimes when God puts things on your heart, it’s hard to write them out… sometimes it’s scary to write things out because one of y’all reading this might actually relate. It’s a scary feeling to write your feelings and be vulnerable. So something in this jumbled up mess makes sense to you, pass it along. Maybe somebody else needs it too.

As Christians, we are called to encourage each other, to help the weak, to be patient with people, to not repay evil for evil, and to most of all love one another. But it never says to accept the sin. it says to love the person not love the sin. And this day and time we need to remember that loving someone is meaning something different nowadays. We are called to be the body of Christ. we are called to the body of Christ as our self. And we are supposed to love one another and all things. We’re supposed to hold to what’s good. Hold on to the good. And we’re supposed to stay away from all the evil… Nowadays, that is as easy as it once was.

So a challenge you to read these verses, and a look back on where you’ve been. And then give thanks and all things. God is good all the time all the time God is good. And I pray that you’ll be able to save with confidence and not through gritting teeth like I once did.

Prayers always;

~ Marli