5 Things I am thankful for this Thursday…..
1. Being alive. My 26th birthday is on Saturday, and I am really thankful that God chose to create me and give me a life so that I can know and enjoy Him, reflect Him to the world and glorify Him forever!
2. Eternal life! I am so glad that there is more to life than just eating, breathing, sleeping, working and relationships. I love that life has a purpose that is greater than myself, and that I can live for eternal things rather than investing my whole life into something that will end when I die.
3. The Gospel. I have been learning a lot recently about preaching the gospel to myself – grace, forgiveness, how worthless my works are in gaining a better standing before God, how faith is more than just words, how adding anything to the cross cheapens Christ’s sacrifice on my behalf, and how I am called to love and serve others as Christ serves the church.
4. Humor. I love laughing, and think that it is one of God’s most creative outlets He gave us. Laughter can lift the mood in a room, quell uneasiness or nerves, encourage and build others up. It is a tricky one though, because it can also have the opposite effect when used in an unloving way to belittle or mock someone. So while it is a delight when used in its proper context, it is also something that requires careful consideration of the moment.
5. Words. This is a beautiful mystery to me. God gave us the ability to speak, and He has also spoken to us. Words have the power to literally speak courage into others, to build them up, to spur one another on to love and good deeds, to express love, appreciation, kindness, joy, celebration, empathy, and sorrow. One word in the right moment can speak healing, while a torrent of words said at the wrong time can speak destruction. It is possible to have an entire conversation and say nothing at all, or to say one word that is an entire conversation that means the world. Words have such great power, and yet how carelessly I often regard them!
A Mosaic 