just like Him

Lord, thank you for walking with us through the seasons of our lives.

for the winter, when we are held safe in your arms through the darkness

for the hope of spring, when we are filled with new promise and life.

for summer time, filled with warmth and color.

and for autumn days as leaves fall seed to new growth.

You are always with us. amen.

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thanksgiving- a holiday meant to serve as a reminder to never take for granted the blessings of this life. to sit in remembrance of the goodness of God.

in theory- really really easy to do, right? it's so clear how I have been provided for in abundance- every way and every direction.

sometimes, the things we're walking through and the seasons that we are in the midst of create a disconnect between what we know and what we feel. we know that our God is a God of peace, but we feel like our lives are overridden with anxiety. we know that we have access to eternal Living Water, but our souls feel run dry. we know we claim stability because our lives are rooted in the salvation of Jesus, but every. single. part. of our lives these days just feel unsteady and unreliable.

this is the war we fight for gratitude- between our mind and our heart. between knowing and feeling.

our minds- inhabited by the "Spirit of wisdom and understanding" as we walk daily in step with scripture.

our hearts- "deceitful and desperately sick."

liars... thats what our hearts are. woof.

okay so... how do we bridge the gap between knowing that the Lord is worthy of all our gratitude and more; and the failure of our hearts to feel + live like that's the truth?

just take a step back.

take a step back to look at where the Father has placed you in this season. the people He's surrounded you with. the circumstances you're in. the stories He's allowing you to watch unfold.

and ask yourself- wouldn't it be just like our God...?

wouldn't it be just like our God to surround me with the wisdom of those older than me in a season of hard conversations?

wouldn't it be just like our God to redeem what I believed unredeemable in my story in a season of being entrusted to pour out truth to those hoping for the same kind of redemption?

or or or

wouldn't it be just like our God to provide people to see beneath the facade of "i'm okay" and walk shoulder to shoulder with me in a season when our burden feels a little too heavy to carry on my own?

fill in the blank with your own circumstance and season. and just watch how quickly the Lord will open your eyes to his heart for you as loving Dad.

because that's the God He is. regardless of how hard this season feels, or how little you feel like He's in it, His hand is placing pieces together in a way that shows His faithfulness as abundant provider.

the season doesn't have to change in the slightest for our hearts to be tuned to see the Father's kindness in it.

there are always reasons to praise. find them, call them out and live in the more- more joy, more peace, more abundance. all found by making the simplest of choices.

to give thanks. always.