Saturday, November 23, 2013

Seeking a "degree" of Thank-ology

Love to mess with the titles. No..I won't be going back to my beloved Ohio State
University to earn a new degree. Been there and done that. No need to return to worrying about mid-terms, finals, papers, being on time, etc. No dissertation or oral exams
to contemplate. 

By degree, I mean amount, in this instance. I am looking to increase, exponentially, my
conscious appreciation for the blessings given to me by my God. They are so many,
it's difficult to imagine the number. They are magnanimous, unearned, gracious
loving examples of the generosity and love that I receive, daily, from the God of the
universe.

The problem, and I am sure I share this with many who may be readers, is taking
the time to remember to be thankful. I am in the real retirement mode, at this point.
I have stopped working part-time and am not actively seeking employ. My career
has long been a thing of the past so I am left with exercise, taking care of my cat, trying
to avoid over stretching my relationship with the daughter I love: translation... I have a
lot of time. So no real excuses; I have the time to concentrate on thanking Him for
everything. It's a conscious decision, one that I am making more frequently, but, still,
I have to remind myself to speak these thanks to Him.

One thing I have done is to take the thanks down to the basic level. I am thankful
for each and every heartbeat, each and every breath I am blessed to be able to take.
I am thankful for each day spent out of hospital, each day filled with the realization
that life is tenuous, fleeting and temporary. 

I use my walking time to remind me to thank Him for this beautiful created world I
live in. Sure, it is broken, but it still is a representation of the greatest creative force
in the universe. 

Believe it or not, I thank Him for my brokenness. It helps me to keep humble when I
realize that I am sinful and very much in need of a savior. It keeps me grounded in
the knowledge that I need to use the awareness of my rebellion to seek to repent
in earnest and turn, with the Spirit's help, away from temptations and sinfulness.

Then there is the Gospel; what a blessed reason to give thanks. Thanks to the
Lamb of God who became corporal and walked toward death, the only thing that
would establish a way for me to be forgiven and seen as acceptable to God.

Finally, I am thankful for a future of hope. A future complete with the upcoming
residence in the presence of God, Jesus and all others who will live in an eternity
of blessing. THANK YOU, GOD! (Did I remember to say, "THANK YOU?")

No comments:

Post a Comment