Regina 
Leaves are rustling wild in our backyard, rushing wind mixing with squeals of delight as leaves blow beautifully furious all around our little kids’ jumps and skips. We’ve been practicing thanks this week. After all, it is God’s gracious will for us.
We created simple thankful books (thank you Pinterest, warm smile) and our children filled them full with pictures and words expressing how happy their hearts are in our God. Watching them sketch out a cross and empty tomb from their own little souls ministered sweet grace to my heart. Listening to that firstborn explain that he was thankful for the toys he has and not concerned about the toys he doesn’t have… Just blows me away. A six year old articulating contentment, this must be the work of God in his young heart. The very attitude is, after all, so very contrary to our natural disposition. Their thankfulness filling me up with thanks. It really is a wonder.
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
I give the thanks offering too, and it will never end. Meals around a wood table full of fresh sliced apples, warm bread and jam, grilled zucchini, glasses full glasses of water, a few teaspoons of elderberry syrup to go around. All of us sitting there at the beginning of a new day and the youngest kicking away inside me to make her presence known. We are so rich. The more we think of these sorts of graces the happier we will be. Can we see that the Lord, our God, is our refuge? In the morning time I spent with Him I saw these words. Familiar and plastered all over my opening Psalm. “My salvation, my rock, my refuge.” Yes. Yes, He is the One providing our food, our daily bread, our strength of soul, gladness of heart, repentance, faith, and everything else. May our food be to do His will and be thankful.
He only is my rock, my salvation, my fortress. I shall not be shaken. Psalm 62:6
There are families breaking into a thousand pieces. Hearts broken over stolen lives, tears spilling over disease, biopsies of family members, there’s plenty of sadness to go around in this world. There’s more than enough chaos to tempt us to wonder if God is any refuge at all. And it sounds so ugly to say, but isn’t it our own weak faith that will be our undoing? I just think the act of thanksgiving, it’s not only required, but it’s our medicine, our help when we hurt so bad for everything broken around us. I think we need thanksgiving more than ever this year.
We need to storm this darkness with the holy light of obedience and be bold enough to believe that our God is the only safe place in this world, to be bold enough to speak and invite the wondering hearts to find their refuge in Him. We do not hide or run or shrink in the face of darkness, we overcome it by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus, and by the word of our testimony.
Maybe I’ll go read the testimonies of our oldest children again now. It builds my faith so.
