Thankful Today ... Fruitful Tomorrow

A friend of mine recently shared with me a challenge that rocked her world. In a nutshell she was asked to consider this ... What would you have available to you today if you were given only that which you gave thanks to the Lord for yesterday?

YIKES - I don't know about you but all of a sudden I'm beginning to feel my own world rock beneath me!

Quickly I rush into a mode of thanksgiving ... Thank You, Lord, for the air that I breathe - and the fact that I'm able to take that air into my lungs. Thank You for a sound mind, for my friends, my coworkers and the waitress at my favorite restaurant. And certainly, Lord, thank You for my family, my job and the absence of fear and violence in my life! Thank You, thank You, thank You, Lord, for the countless things that I openly cherish but even more so, those things that I've taken for granted. Truly I realize that I am NOTHING without You, I have nothing apart from you, and I have every reason to spend my entire day pouring out my thanks to You.

But is it all about what He can ... and does ... do FOR us? Or what things He gives TO us? No! It's about the Holy Spirit that lives within us and the abundance that flows through our lives because of Him. For as it is written in Galatians 5:22-23 "The Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Each of these Fruits flow from us because of the Holy Spirit that lives within us. What more could I ever desire ... what could be greater in my life and more worthy of my eternal gratitude?

Joy is the kiss that seals each unselfish act. Kindness resonates from each of us as we go forth being patient, understanding and considerate. As you give in abundance, surely goodness, gentleness and self-control will be your blessing. An in the end, peace will about as faithfulness adorns our crown of love!

It is only by God's grace that His mercies are new every morning. He prepares us each day for the time in which we will stand before Him. And as we stand in the fullness of who our God truly is, may we see HIM as the God we worshiped throughout our lives and not a mirror that displays a reflection of ourselves as the worshipped god.

It was ... it is ... and it always will be ALL ABOUT HIM but oh, the blessings we have to be thankful for when, through His mercy and grace, He lavishes His Glory upon us.

Thank You, Father, for Your presence in my life through the Holy Spirit. May my heart overflow with thanksgiving each day as I live in wild anticipation of our days of eternity together, for I ask this now, in and through the Name that is above all names, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus my Christ.
Amen and amen.