So much for writing about an “I Am Thankful” thing every day in the month of November. Truth is, I’ve become sidetracked. Does that ever happen to you? I have the best intentions, and the most willing heart, but then —WHAM!— something diverts my attention, my focus, my initial (often the most genuine and productive) forward motion.
Because I want to make sure you don’t miss this point, I’m going to go ahead and tell you: I’m not talking about failing to post a blog about my thankful heart every day. That’s small potatoes. I’m talking about the state of my heart in this real world the last few days.
I hate to admit it, especially during a time when having a thankful heart seems most commercially acceptable by the general population… especially during a time when so many eyeballs are on me, waiting to see how I react to certain stimuli… especially when I know deep within my soul how pleasing my thanksgiving is to the Heavenly Father. So what is it when I don’t share my thanksgiving with Him? I would think that to be the opposite of pleasing. Yuck! I never want to displease my Father, but boy do I mess that up. Daily. Oftentimes several times a day.
Work.
Indulgences.
Relationships.
Pride.
Schedules.
I’ve let “things”get me sidetracked.
“…I learned something about the boldness we should claim in approaching our sin. We kneel, face it eye to eye, we clarify that it is not of our Lord, and then, in utter confidence, we grasp it by its strongest point and destroy it.”
“OOOoooo! Something shiny!” That’s me. And the shiny isn’t usually a positive thing. Shiny like a fishing lure. All that flashy bait that’s used to lure my footing off of the narrow path. It happens so easily and comfortably, that I hardly even notice how wide the road has become until I am joined by all sorts of well-intentioned, but distracted, others who seem to feed the ease and comfort of walking along this wide open, directionless pathway.
I recognize the sin that’s been looming around the last few days. Nothing anyone would notice. Nothing anyone would hear or see. But I’ve let worry and what ifs steal some precious time lately. I’ve let these things that are definitely not of the Lord override what I know to be His truth. I recognize it and I’m grabbing it by it’s strongest point and getting rid of it.
Heavenly Father, I desire to please you in all that I do and say and think. I want to walk the narrow path you have carved out specifically for my footsteps. I don’t need the company of things that are not of you, Lord, and I ask that you help me recognize things that are of this world and limited, so that I may move on from them. Father, I want the light of Jesus Christ to shine so brightly through my life that the things I should steer away from are illuminated as such. Thank you for washing me anew, Heavenly Father, with your mercies and grace. Thank you for loving me just as I am. Amen.
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is. Romans 12:2
the toenail 