Gratitude on Thursday

I found this coming out of my mouth as I had coffee with a friend yesterday:

"I feel like I'm walking on a high wire or tight rope, and I'm holding a really long pole. One on side of my pole are all the difficult, hard, sad, infuriating things in my life that I need to at least acknowledge so that I don't stuff them, and on the other side are all of the really fantastic blessings I have that I can't let go un-thanked either. It's like I have so much of both extremes that the balancing of it gets overwhelming."

She nodded, acknowledging an understanding that she'd been here on this tight rope too. I love the feeling that comes when another soul "gets you."

And I was thinking about that high wire again while walking around the path at the park last night. Confessing and consecrating it all, talking to the One who holds my balance. Today, I'm so thankful for His reminder:

"Child, the only way you'll be able to balance is if you keep your eyes focused straight ahead on Me. And you can."

Again today - I share some of my gratitude list with you, Dear Heart. I pray it will inspire you to begin or continue to count all the ways He loves you and draws your focus straight ahead to His grace. Even more, I pray it will be a display of His glory, never mine.

Photo Credit: High Definition Wallpapers

- This video - hope in the face of hopelessness (We just got our picture of our sponsored girl, Pooja, who just so happened to be one of the featured children on the site. I don't know how that happened - her profile was there along with a number of others on our table when Pastor Cawston came.  What I do know - she's already tied up in the strings of my heart, and my arms ache to hug her like they did when my own daughter was in my womb. If I saw her today I'd kiss her beautiful cheeks. I wouldn't care about cultural barriers. Maybe it's good I can't, lol)

- Little Nina, and the way her face lights up when she sees me in the hall

- a warm hug from C at school, and the privilege it is that she can have lunch with her son at school

- an oriole, black with orange under his wings, and all the variety of birds here in this glorious place

- full blossoms of the dogwood trees, and the green of spring all around

- for peace and contentment to do just this which is right in front of me

- coffee with my friend, D, and the privilege to be an intercessor for her

- this verse, and Lizzie's spot-on exegesis of one of my all-time favorites

- the scent of the creek and the trees at dusk as I walk around the trail

- this quote, from my devotional today:

"The real meaning of eternal life is a life that can face anything it has to face without wavering. If we will take this view, life will become one great romance - a glorious opportunity of seeing wonderful things all the time. God is disciplining us to get us into this central place of power." Oswald Chambers [emphasis mine]

- the ticking of time today - though it may not seem like enough to me, it is Exactly. What. You. Have. Given.

- the way You teach me about intercession, and then give me people to pray for. You truly are Jehovah-Jireh, providing everything good I want and need

Lord, Thank You. I'm unworthy of all this goodness, but You made me worthy when Your Son took my place and gave me His. I see the ways You love me, and I'm grateful. Because You've given me Your son, and all these things, I gladly give You everything I have too.