Be Purposeful When Giving Thanks To God
I have witnessed God’s hand in quite a few things recently. One situation had one of my best friends in a panic, and rightfully so! The news threatened to bring her world crumbling down around her feet. Would she receive a phone call that would leave her devastated, or would she be able to sigh a big sigh of relief? No one knew … except for God above! We waited, and we prayed … although words failed. What exactly CAN you say at a time like this? I tried on several occasions to find something to offer in her time of need, and although I have been told that I’m quite long winded when I talk and write … this time, I had nothing that I felt of value that would ease her pain. No words would be powerful enough to lift her out of this pit of despair. Instead, I sent all of my love her way and flooded the throne room of God with prayers on her behalf. In my inability to produce the “right” words, I simply kept reassuring her of my love and prayers so she would know that she was not alone in this. She confided in me, and I had no words other than:
“I love you, I’m here for you, and I’m praying for you!”
Maybe that was all that truly needed to be said after all.
We waited … together, yet states away. Oh the agony of waiting for results. It adds more wrinkles onto our faces that we try with all of our might to keep as young as possible with all of the anti-wrinkle cream we smear on, and yet … there’s another one brought on by stress! We hold our heads in our hands as we wait, some times taking both of our hands straight back, stroking our hair as we go, then holding our hands clasped together tightly behind our heads. When we turn to face the mirror, we see yet another gray hair popping through. Yes, anxiety at its finest!
Oh I know … you’re not supposed to take on someone else’s problems as your own. They aren’t supposed to affect you. BUT … when you love someone, you hurt when they hurt! When they are struggling, you ARE affected because of how close you two are … it’s bound to affect even the toughest person on the face of this earth when someone they love is going through a hard time with their future unknown and unsure of what is to come, especially when it involves their health!
Then, the moment we had been waiting for. The phone call was finally placed and my friend picked up on the other end as her words caught in her throat as she forced herself to remain brave no matter what the caller had to say concerning her results.
In that tiny moment, a fraction of a second, everything changed for her. Completely! Her outlook … her uncertainty … as she received the best results ever! No cancer was found. NO CANCER WAS FOUND! NONE in that area, in the area of great concern … NOTHING WAS FOUND!!!!
When I received the news, I wanted to get out of my chair and dance around the room! I can only imagine how SHE felt!
Oh happy days!! Happy days, indeed!
And then came the moment where I stopped everything I was doing and went to God in prayer. This time, my prayer was full of praise and thanksgiving. With a grateful heart, I thanked Him for sparing my friend, for the good news she had received, and for having His hand firmly upon her life.
Not too long after that, I sat silently wondering if she had done the same thing. Had she taken the time to thank God? Had she offered words of praise and appreciation for all He had done? I’d like to believe that she did. Only God knows for sure.
That thought needed to be explored as I firmly believe that more thanksgiving needs to be offered up to our Creator! Thus, this blog post was born! 🙂
Have you ever taken the time to think about this, though? Honestly? We have no problem bombarding heaven with our requests, our wants, wishes, and desires. We hold nothing back when we’re begging God and pleading with Him. Yet, when He reaches down His great and mighty hand and heals the person or fixes the situation, do we take time to adequately thank him? OR, do we sigh and say, “Well, that was close!” as we go about the rest of our day without giving this answered prayer another thought?
This is where we need to be purposeful, people. This is where we need to take the time to thank God for how good He has been to us, because He is so very good to us all. If we can take our prayers to God when we’re asking for this, that, or the other … why, then, can’t we take our grateful hearts to Him as we extend the biggest praise and appreciation for all that He has just done in our lives and in the lives of our family and friends?
God deserves more than just a “Whew that was close” or a “Well, thank God for that!” He deserves sooooo much more!
Let’s be intentional with our praises … Let’s be purposeful with our thanks that we offer up to God.
Think of a situation right this minute that you’ve prayed over. Something that may have been troubling you that you took to God in prayer. Even if it was just a silent prayer from your heart to God’s ears … He heard it.
If God answered your prayer the way you wanted it answered, did you take the time to thank him appropriately? God didn’t halfway do something, so don’t halfway praise him or thank him for it!
God has answered a prayer in my own life just recently, and I thank Him from the bottom of my heart. Trouble seemed to come from every angle, even when I tried to just “Be still and know that He was God.” The waves of hurt and pain crashed over me like the high tide rolling in at the beach lapping at the dunes threatening to spill over them, too! I struggled … I prayed … I begged … I pleaded … and I felt like I was standing in the eye of the storm. Then it felt just like God stepped right in the center with me and raised His powerful hand, and in an instant, the storms stopped raging around me.
My simple whisper of a prayer reached God’s ears and spoke to His heart:
Please God, please … put us back together!
And He did. It was slowly at first, then everything started falling into place … only better this time around. Yes, God answered prayer in His time, in His way, and with HIs divine touch on our lives.
He is worthy of our praises. Fall down on your knees and thank Him. Praise Him! Lift your head up and look toward the heavens, then allow your praises and prayers of thanksgiving to now freely flow as you pour it all out and show your appreciation and gratitude for God above.
Take the time! Be purposeful when giving thanks to God!
American Indian Heritage Month
What is now upon us? American Indian Heritage Month. What does this mean? To many, not much. We have many (Insert race) Heritage History months.
What does it mean to me being Native American (Comanche)? Being raised by a mother who was raised on a reservation, being taught Native American culture, language and history along with the same from my fathers side or “taibo.”
I spent the better part of my early school years living a life that was similar to the lyrics of the Cher song “Half Breed.” I had longer hair than many of the girls in my elementary school and even had a bird feather left on my school desk by a wanna-be-bully.
I have always been more drawn to that part of my heritage than my “taibo” side. My mother had my naming ceremony early in my life, but I have very little memory of that day. I do, however have a deep and binding tie to that name. I don’t know how my mother knew me so well at that young age (I was 3) of what I would become as an adult. She gave me the name “Waya Ka-ni” which loosely translated means “Wolf who watches over.”
I met my spirit guide when I was a young teen after my mother passed away — a large black wolf, who has been with me my entire life since that first meeting. My life, personality and values are that of a wolf. How she knew. I’ll never know.
Native heritage, Native culture, Native beliefs. What does all that mean? How can anyone begin to understand in simply 30 days? I don’t think that anyone can. However, I do believe in the awareness brought up by the media; showing that the Native peoples of America have a deep, rich and very long culture, deeply rooted in the life force that is Mother Earth. We all come from her. All races, colors and beliefs start with Mother Earth, and it is to her we will all return. Now this is all that I have believed, what I have been taught. Every living thing has a spirit, and if you only listen, you can hear them. To this day, I can still hear my mother. Her name was “Tauni-mara” (which means North Wind).
Native American people have deep beliefs in community, “It’s not what you have, it’s what you have to give.”
I was asked once by an adorable nine year old girl, “Are Indians dirty?” Was I offended? How could one be offended by such an innocent question. Over the decades Native people have been portrayed as “savages,” “uncultured,” “barbarians”. People always fear what they do not know. In this case this sweet little girl was simply curious and asked a question probably based on some photos she had seen in school depicting Indians living in teepees. I answered her simply, “No we are not, we are as clean as you and your family.”
My second example would be driving to work. I have on occasion seen someone having a dream catcher hanging from their rear view mirrors. I can only chuckle. Why, you ask? A dream catcher should only be hung where you sleep, so I chuckle thinking that person must sleep a lot in their car. It’s not a decoration. To many Native people, it is a special tool for allowing their children to sleep soundly without nightmares. To allow them to come to the creator without fear.
I was told once by someone that they had “become Indian.” (Insert confused head tilt here.) Huh? My only guess to that is that this person was taking on the beliefs of Native people. Though, I am not sure of how one “becomes Indian.” I mention this because it is these situations that proves to me the need for a cultural awareness and education.
The Native cultures run long in history and deep in tradition. Some may seem to people silly or even ridiculous. I say to them, to many Native people the “taibo” can be just as silly and ridiculous. Just because it is different, does not make it any less important. Coming to a beginning of understanding that Native People are different – in every way. We may put on a suit and tie, or a lab coat, or a hard hat, but we are all still red men inside.
I have often suggested to, well, just about anyone that would listen, to find and attend a pow wow in their area. The beating drum is the living beating heart of the people. It is there you can gain a little more understanding of the Native people all around you. We are still here; Living our lives, raising our children, looking after our families.
I say “Thank you” for the American Heritage month. It’s a start, a start down a path of knowledge and understanding. A start to the appreciation of cultures that are long, deep and rich. We could celebrate a heritage month a little bit every day.
I am ever grateful for the teachings of my mother. Ever thankful to my ancestors for helping me.
Life is a circle. When my circle is close to completing, I will return to Mother Earth and to my ancestors and hope they accept me for trying to live my life with honor.
You have noticed that everything an Indian does is in a circle, and that is because the Power of the World always works in circles, and everything tries to be round … The Sky is round, and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball, and so are all the stars. The wind, in its greatest power, whirls. Birds make their nest in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours…Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always come back again to where they were. The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves.
–Black Elk Oglala Sioux Holy Man
Begin
So you made a mistake. You messed up. You thought you had it all together, but something went wrong along the way. Things happen. The important thing is to learn from your mistakes so you don’t repeat them.
Don’t be so hard on yourself. Stop beating yourself up!
Breathe … in … and hold it … then slowly release.
Allow all of your anxieties to flow out of your lungs through your body as they make their way out of your mouth as you blow out with determination and force. Imagine that all of the negatives are being forced out right along with it. Oh sure, some negativity tries to remain no matter how hard you blow out. I can imagine slippery, slimy particles holding on by little suction cups on their hands and feet. You blow, you exhale hard, and they lose their grip! Yes! Success as one screams its way past another and this negative being is no more! As you continue to breathe out, even MORE negativity leaves your body …
You hold your head back for a moment as a smile creeps across your face now, and you are ready to begin again.
This post was inspired by the Five Minute Friday prompt word: Begin. Join us at the new location for the link up next week, but for now, this is the last hoo-ray over at Lisa Jo’s site!
