Joy: 37-Day Devotionalنموونە

Thankful. Grateful. Blessed. These words are found everywhere. They are on picture frames and home décor, clothing, tote bags, mugs and tumblers. I often wonder when I see people with these items, if people purchased them because they, in fact, are thankful, grateful and blessed. Did they buy them just because everyone else is buying them too?

Thankful and grateful could be interchanged—their meanings are nearly synonymous. During my childhood, I remember praying to God in a simplistic way, thanking Him for all the blessings He had given me—a loving family, a good home. My life was uneventful and calm, so giving thanks was easy. It wasn’t until my mid-20s with the sudden and tragic loss of my father that I found myself changing the manner in which I prayed. My prayers turned into desperate pleas, begging God to give my mother and my family strength, courage, and peace. As my own family grew, I mourned the relationships my children would not have with my father, yet a wave of gratitude came over me. In communion with my petitions for help came prayers of thanksgiving for having had him as my dad. The limited time my oldest daughter had with him became a treasured memory and a realized blessing.

Even as time moved on, in the darkest of moments where grief and anguish were measured in minutes and hours, I know the Lord had blessed me and He will continue to shepherd me to better days. Priority of prayer, whether vocal or private, was essential to my sanity. For in giving thanks: I felt my load become lighter, my heart more joyful. Sadness was not erased, but the temptation to wallow in grief was less. Building my relationship with God, whether in appeals for mercy or prayers of gratitude, helps me persevere and gives me comfort. I am His and He will not desert me.

Lord, thank you for hearing my prayers of desperation and of thanksgiving. In all things, every day, I give praise to you.