Thankfulness

A Devotional by Margot Cioccio

Ephesians 5:20

¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity,because the days are evil.¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.¹⁸ Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.¹⁹ Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I'm writing this morning out among the flowers and humming birds. I'm thankful that the Vicki's garden shop where my friend Nikki Lima works had a 75% off sale. I'm thankful that I was able to have a little bit of money to get some beautiful plants to create a beautiful out door space.

I'm thankful that I have competed cleaning and organizing my office corner and the the living room. I still have a lot of areas that still need dealt with but I am finding a new ability to actually face those areas and to be able to go through and ask the question do I really still need this?

Colossians 2:6-7

⁶ So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught,

 and overflowing with thankfulness.

I've been in a bit of an awkward place for the last month or so. I bunch of things all came to the end at about the same time. If you've been reading my posts for any length of time you will know that when I get to the end of a project, I always seem to go through a period of time where I just don't know what to do with myself.  I recently had a whole bunch of those kind of things happen and it has left me really feeling strange, a bit out of sorts. I guess some have even wondered what was going on with me. I am usually very steady even in the midst of the storms of life. Lately I have been pretty wibbly woobly.  Like a boat in a rough waters I have felt tossed about and like I have had little that moors me and keeps me steady. Even realizing that this has been going on does not make it easier. I have been working very hard the last few years to allow myself to actually feel things and not just stuff them. I've done that a lot with things of the past but in this season I have found myself having to do that with things present. I have had to feel the grief and the joy of finishing a number of things. Its an odd mixed blessing in that its wonderful to celebrate having completed a big project at the same time it is disconcerting because you need to figure out what is next. 

I have to say that today is the first day in a while that I feel ok. I can see a bit of direction of what God might use me for next. Granted at this point it is pretty sketchy and seems too big.  I will have to pray about it and step by step move towards creating this thing that I suddenly found in my head this morning. 

So I just had a internet glitch and lost the rest of what I had written. I remember someones wise words in reference to loosing things on the computer. He said "Jesus saves, you should too." That same person also said I should write shorter posts. So I will leave you with Psalm 100.
         A psalm. For giving thanks.

¹ Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
²     Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
³ Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his;
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
⁵ For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for new direction. Thank you for carrying us though the changes of life that we know are coming and the ones that take us by surprise. Thank you that when we ache you hold us, when we grieve you comfort. When we feel lost you help us to see the next step and allow us to now you are near. Thank you for the victories and for being able to see with new eyes and for the hope that you cause to spring up after the storms have passed. Thank you for your presence to go with us through each step of the journey to become more and more like you.