Tuesday, June 30, 2015

An Unusual Twist on Gratitude

Today I was looking back over some of my past twitter/facebook posts, and the more I did that, the more I was overcome with an overwhelming feeling of gratitude. I remembered the good times, the times I was laughing so hard I was crying, the memories made with my friends, and the longing to be remake those memories again. However, I really was drawn to reflecting on the difficult times, and more importantly, how much I had grown through those difficult times.

It's weird.
You see, I enjoyed thinking about and reminiscing on the hard times almost more so than I did on the fun times. It seems almost backward.

I'm not saying that I necessarily enjoyed the thoughts and feelings that rushed back along with those hard memories, but it made me realize where I am today, and how I would not be where I am today had I NOT had those hard times, and had I not chosen to grow through them. Hence, I was overwhelmed with gratitude for them.

God is so good. He grace is....indescribable. In my own life, I've always found that I grow the most through tough times, and I'm pretty sure that applies to most people. I LOVE Genesis 50:20 that states "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result." (NASB)  What Satan intends for evil, God can turn it around for good and for His glory, because He works ALL things for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28). We see this all throughout the Bible, but the story of Joseph is especially brought to my mind.

So, what can we learn from this?

1. You can choose to accept and be at peace about the past: Nothing that you've done is out of the reach of God's forgiveness and grace. Don't beat yourself up! Forgiveness of yourself and others is a key catalyst to the healing process. God can and will work everything for your good! I'm not saying you may not have to deal with the consequences of your actions, but your future can be bright! We all make mistakes, so don't dwell on the past, but rather, choose to learn and grow from it. :)

2. Live in the present! I sometimes catch myself playing the "what if" game...don't do that! You are where you are for a reason. The past is gone. Whatever you are doing and wherever you are, be all in and do it for HIS glory.

3. Get excited about the future- and stop worrying! God has you in His hand, and He will guide your path and direct you, if you let Him! Yes, we make mistakes, but He is always there to guide us back and lead us to Him. I was once told to think of it like a GPS. We're supposed to let God direct us (let Him be our GPS), but sometimes we take a wrong turn. When this happens, the GPS recalculates to get us back on the right track- so God does with our life!


Here are 2 songs that I absolutely LOVE that completely resonate with this entry:

Sovereign Over Us- Aaron Keyes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPkMbhydU9I
Through All of It- Colton Dixon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91KliTa1ksY

Anyway, just a few thoughts for the day. Time to go back and study for my Gen Chem II final exam that is tomorrow..ha.. :p THANK YOU for taking the time to read. :)

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