Choose Strength: A Thanksgiving Post

This Thanksgiving, I am filled with many emotions. I am thankful for so many things, like...
My parents, duh, they are the best
My brother and my new sister, Katie
My extended family for allowing me to come visit
Answered Prayers
Sports
Passing Grades
etc...

But, the thing I am really the most thankful for, is my new beginning and the strength the Lord gave me to get here. It was a wobbly past year. I felt the stir to move and start school when my heart and faith were weak. I moved with a little more strength, but not much. The last few months however, I have felt this surge of strength. Every day I wake up, I choose to be stronger, because I choose the Lord.

At every point, decision, and turn in our lives we have the opportunity to choose strength. Things are going to get you down, days are going to stink, and seasons will be flat out crappy to get through, but in each of those moments you can choose to be strong and strong in the Lord and his promise to deliver.

I am reminded of the woman who was prone to bleeding in Matthew. It's not a huge and significant passage in Matthew. Actually it's stuck right in the middle of Jesus going to raise the dead girl in Matthew 9. The lady was in the crowd, and she knew if she could just touch the robe of Jesus, just the thread, she would be healed. A small amount of faith, lead to great amounts of strength.

Sometimes the things we have to do in life are hard, but the majority of life is pretty great. But that pretty great part, is up to us. We can sit and hide from the potential God has given us, or we can stand up in our weakness, with our tiny mustard seed of faith, and be strong, and do GREAT things.

I'm thankful for weakness.
I'm thankful for courage.
I'm thankful for healing.
I'm thankful for STRENGTH.

And I'm thankful for you!

Choose Strength.
#sheisstrong

 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20

Unlock the Door

I've been thinking about my Grandma Thomas lately. I think one reason is because my brother and I have had a really exciting year. Big life changes, kind of year. I wish she could be a part, but even more, I know my mom wishes she was here to experience it all.  I'd love to hear her reaction, thoughts, and feelings about the stuff that I'm journeying through. I know she'd probably be really proud of me and say, "that's good." We weren't too big on expression in that family. If my grandpa wanted to say he loved us, he'd changed the wiper fluid. One thing I do remember well, is my Grandma made her opinion known through her expression. I was looking through pictures, and I finally learned where I got my turned up nose, roll of the eyes look. Y'all know what I mean. Here...Look. Love that little nose.

I loved her so much. She taught me many things in my life, but the most important lesson I learned from her was patience. She was a tiny, little angel. She was the most patient and loving woman that I knew, she taught the women in the family to be strong and loving. My mom had a great role model, and now I have two. I found her gloves in my pocket the other day, right in the middle of a stress ball of a week, and I sat and wept. It was just a reminder to slow down, be patient, and push on.

This post isn't about patience. Sorry mom and Aunt Elaine, I'm sure I've got the tears going already...hold on one more minute. 

Who could stay mad at this face?

I have a story to share with you. I don't know why, other than God working in my life that this story came to my mind when it did. I was a very hard-headed child. I still am quite stubborn, but I've calmed down tremendously. One summer, we were visiting my grandparents in Terre Haute, which is only a few hours away from Chicago. My mom and dad decided to take a day trip there with my brother John, while I would spend some quality time with Grandma. I was probably about 4 at this time, so this is more of a story memory than an actual memory, for all I know, it was John that got left...Anyways, I apparently was very ill with this decision and locked myself in the room for the entirety of the trip. Nothing my grandma said or did got me out of that room. #stubborn #hardheaded #Iknow Looking/thinking back, I bet my grandma had some really fun things

planned for us, because we did a lot together, and I probably missed out on a great day. My family likes to remind me of this from time to time, and I honestly have a mix of shame and guilt when I think about this, and then I remember I was like 4...so there isn't much I can do now. When I was 18, I started making trips to the Haute on my own to spend time with them, and I can't express how thankful I am that I did that.

I was thinking about this story and it hit me, "How many times have I pitched a fit and missed out on life?" I mean, literally, I have pitched a lot of fits in my life, I had some brat like tendencies. But, beyond that, how many times have I been so focused on what I had not, what I was lacking, or why I was going through a hurting season, and not seen, heard, or followed the call of God? How many lives went unloved by me because I was sitting in my ill-willed mind? How many fun journeys and life experiences have I missed because I just ignored the greater design of life? Even worse...how many times did I clearly hear God call me somewhere, and I ignored it, because it wasn't "as fun?" 

I felt a clear call to come to seminary, I dropped everything, and left. I haven't seriously regretted it yet (just small grumbles), because I KNEW that God wasn't just calling me back to school, he was calling me on an incredible journey. I could have stayed and wallowed in my hurt, or I could have unlocked the door and enjoy. I know there have been times were I felt similar callings, not huge life transitioning ones, but gentle nudges to do things, and I ignored them intentionally. I know that people still heard and felt the the love of God with out me, because His will WILL be done, with or with out me. 

So, if God is planning a fun filled day/journey/life, why not experience it? God longs for us to be a part of His story, but his story doesn't stop because we have decided to be stubborn and choose our own will, our own way. His story doesn't end because we lock ourselves in our rooms because we don't agree with what's happening. So if His story continues with or with out us....why not just be a part of it?

Live a life in eager expectation of what lies ahead. Go on an adventure with the one who has planned more than you've ever imagined. 

Unlock the door!

--SM