This is the overlook from the very place Matt proposed to Mary Norris just a few months back. What a glorious weekend that was with all our family up here as well as Matt's parents and a couple of their close friends. So now I'm savoring it again and remembering God's goodness in the past and trusting that He who is the Giver of all good gifts will continue to give. Because that is His nature--He gives. He blesses. He sustains. He strengthens. He creates. He restores. He redeems. And when He removes something or someone from our clasping, sometimes greedy hands, He has further plans for redemption and blessing.
And here's how I know--I know by faith. Just this morning I read, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." (Heb.11:1) I love what John McArthur wrote about this "emphatic statement about the nature of faith. Faith involves the most solid possible conviction--the God-given present assurance of a future reality. True faith is not based on empirical evidence but on divine assurance and is a gift of God."
Paul made that clear--"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God." (Eph.2:8)
Aren't you glad we don't have to drum up faith on our own? I'm so thankful faith is not one more area I need to work on, try harder, push farther in an endless attempt to bulk up my faith. Not one more reason to strive and strive (which is truly the worst!).
Nope, it's a gift from our relentlessly gift-giving Father. Because He gives and gives and gives. Our job is simply to receive with gratitude and give Him all the glory for whatever He sovereignly chooses to place in our hands or chooses to remove from them. It's the removal part I tend to struggle with, but that's where faith comes in--does not He who created each of us and loves us infinitely know what is ultimately best in any and every circumstance?
So Father, keep us thankful. Keep us focused upon You, our gracious Gift-giver and not upon the gifts. Sure, help us daily to notice and then rejoice in each and every gift You shower upon us. But then transform our gratitude into worship of the One who gives and takes away all--ALL--out of His redemptive, grace-saturated, endless love for us.
Just this morning, I'm praising Him for the butterfly bushes blooming just off our porch. O my. Every big, splashy bush swarming, alive with butterflies. A picture cannot begin to do it justice, but still it's worth a try!
Sometimes we're so preoccupied with what's being pulled from our grasp that we fail to open our eyes to all that God showers upon us in it's place. Yesterday, I kept looking at the empty couch on the porch--Moses' favorite resting spot when he sat our here with us--and I cried more tears. But in my sadness I nearly missed God's glorious butterfly-explosion happening all over our yard! What on earth! Open your eyes, old girl, and witness the glory and goodness of the Lord that surrounds you--family both up here and at home, God's creation, ears to hear the symphony of birds, eyes to view the astounding beauty of greens and purples and yellows and blues all around us, friends (O the joys and consolation of friendship!), a good book, Linda's fabulous banana pudding... and on and on.
Forgive me, Father, for sometimes being so focused upon myself that I miss You. Thank You for giving gifts to us, Your children, even when we don't deserve them. Let's face it--we all just love getting gifts! Open our eyes, Lord, to see not just Your gifts, but to see You, our Gift-giver, in the midst of wherever we are and whatever we might be going through today. Because You are there...always...and always giving gifts.
To God be the glory.
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