Thanks through Suffering?

                We all live very busy lives. Trust me; I COMPLETELY know where you are coming from. I am constantly on the go. My plate is over course always being filled with new tasks and new adventures that need to be completed. I am someone who cannot say “No.” That two letter word is normally not in my vocabulary. I think “Yeah I can handle it. I mean I was handed this opportunity so why not take it?” I always want things to go smoothly and stick to the plan or I should say MY plan. I am a perfectionist so I think things have to go my way or no way.

                Well if I am a perfectionist and I always want things done right, shouldn’t my life be perfect with no mistakes? The answer to that question is NO. Although I wish and strive for perfection, the outcome of things don’t always lead to what I believe is satisfaction. I completely freak out when something does not go as planned or the slightness detail is out of place. Why do I spend so much time reacting to what I believe is failure?  Why do I waste so much time on the negative and not the positive? These are questions I have to ask myself daily.

                Psalms 107:1 says:

                                “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His mercy endures forever.”

                I first want you to ponder on this verse. This 13 letter verse has SO much meaning and I have taken so much out of it from the time I read it and the times I re-read it.

                Let’s start with “give thanks to the Lord for He is good.” How often in your daily lives do you give thanks to the Lord, no matter how small or how big the thing you are giving thanks to is? I know if I look into the mirror and ask myself this question, there are not many times I do this. “Me giving thanks when things are not going my way, why should I do that?” is often what I think about. I am thinking about it in the wrong way though. God has a plan. HIS plan is what I should follow NOT my plan. Sometimes our plans don’t always line up, but that is ok because HIS plan is much greater than mine. I should give thanks to Him in my sufferings because although at the time if I do not understand why things took another path or a different route, I just have to trust in Him and listen to His words. GOD IS GOOD. That is a phrase we all hear a lot, but that is something more than just a phrase. Those words are life changing. God IS good. He wants what is best for each and every one of us so next time things don’t  go as we think they should “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good.”

                No let’s look at that the second half of the verse, “His mercy endures forever.” I think this is my favorite part of the verse for many reasons, the first reason being that God is merciful. What does it mean to be merciful? Being merciful means to be full of mercy and to be compassionate and God is definitely both those things.  Through suffering who is always there by your side? Yes your family, friends, and those who care dearly for you are always there, but God is the one who is there to pick you up when you fall and He is there with His arms wide open.  He is the one who sent His Son to die for you and me and who no matter how many times we deny Him is there to say He loves us.  This just boggles my mind.  How could the God Almighty have so much mercy on me a sinner who denies Him daily? He does because He loves us. This had me thinking about what can I do in return for God. All He asks is that we follow Him and love him. Sounds easy right? Well it is not. That is ok though because God is by our side the whole way.  

                I read this verse about a month ago and it was not until this past week that it really hit home. God has been there and will be there all the time. I am constantly fighting battles with the world and with Satan, but I do not have to do them alone because God is there by my side. I should give thanks to Him daily and when things do not go as planned I should look at the positive and not the negative. I thank God for His goodness and mercy. I know that with my battle with perfectionism is a battle that God has already won. He is perfect and He does not ask me to be. It is ok when I don’t make that grade on the test or when someone else is first place. That was not His plan for me and I just have to be patient and wait for His plan for me to unfold.

 

Keep Praising and Praying!

 

Mary

 

My best friend sent me a picture of this and I recreated it onto a sticky note. It is a constant reminder for me that it is ok that I am not perfect and I have made several copies to put in my car or binders for school. It really has helped me a lot and I encourage you to copy it and make it your own.