Trust and Thankfulness.

My heart is overflowing tonight. Overflowing with sorrow and sadness, but also gratitude. It hasn't been the best week and a half or so.

Today, my wonderful roommate Sadie surprised me with a book I've been wanting called Jesus Calling. For those of you that haven't read it...get it. It's full of truth and wisdom and it's crazy how I opened to todays and it's exactly what I woke up thinking about. Anyway...I read this today and it was something I needed to hear:

"Rejoice and be thankful! As you walk with Me through this day, practice trusting and thanking Me all along the way. Trust is the channel through which My Peace flows into you. Thankfulness lifts you up above your circumstances. I do My greatest works through people with grateful, trusting hearts. Rather than planning and evaluating, practice trusting and thanking Me continually. This is a paradigm shift that will revolutionize your life."

I'm not trusting that God knows what's going on or that he'll lead us in the way we should go. I'm freaking out a little. I have also lost sight of what to be thankful for and have spent a lot of days grumbling and complaining.

But today that changed. Situations are still the same, but my perspective and reaction to them doesn't have to be. Thankfulness really does lift you up above your circumstances and gaining perspective has a way of bringing peace.

A Few Things I am Thankful For:

1. Friends that encourage me and walk this crazy journey of life with me and make me laugh when I'm crying. Whether they live 500 miles away or 10 miles away I seriously have some of the best friends anyone could ask for.
2. That I am able to be in Florida a week from today to spend time with my family!!
3. A job I love. Sometimes I think it's weird that I'm content in my job and not searching for the next best thing or saying I would rather be doing fill in the blank...nope I like it right here. And even though a lot of my stress and sadness comes from this job at the end of the day I can still say I love it. Because this is more than just a job...it's my life and my community and the way I see God's Kingdom come to Earth a little bit each day in a different way...God didn't say this life would be easy. And if we quit when things got hard where would we be?
4. The Hunger Games and Harry Potter. Just finished the last Harry Potter book...loved each one! Read The Hunger Games awhile go but just saw the movie...so good!
5. That Nashville has turned into home and it's a city I love. If you would have told me 3 years ago I would be living in Nashville and loving it, I would have laughed in your face.
6. Laughter.
7. Good roommates. I just got a new one and it could have been a disaster, but it isn't.
8. Lots of good friends who have babies that I get to love, snuggle and cuddle with.
9. A super comfortable bed.
10. March Madness. Even though my Spartans disappointed, it's still fun to watch all the games.

Be Part of the Answer.

The other day I had a long conversation with a friend. We talked some about things she was going through, we talked about my day, we talked about how life can be hard and how it can suck. After we talked she looked at me and said, "Thank you. You just make me feel so much better." Or something to that effect and it got me thinking.

You see...I have been praying for this friend a lot lately. Praying that she would feel comfort and peace and know that she's going to be okay. I prayed that the Lord would cement in her heart his love for her and her friends and family love for her. After she said that to me I realized that God just used me to answer part of my own prayer. How many times do we pray and forget that we can be part of the answer? Prayer also requires action.

How many times do we pray for friends who are going through hard times to feel peace and comfort and understood? Do we really live our lives in ways that show we want to be part of the answering of these prayers? Do we ever pray this and forget we can pick up the phone, make a coffee date, or write an encouraging note to them? I know there's an extent where the practicality (is this a word?) runs out and there are wounds only the Lord can heal, but I'm convinced He can and wants to use us in that process.

I pray that the teenage girls I spend time with would feel loved, valued, and know their lives matter. Ever since realizing this I've now asked myself each day how can I be a part of showing them they feel loved, valued and that that they matter and praying God would use me.

So just ask yourself next time you find yourself praying for a friend, a family member, a co-worker or that stranger on the street corner. What can you do to be part of the answer? Praying that they would feel Christ's love for them? Show them love. Praying they would feel comfort? Give them a hug. Praying they will get out of their funk? Plan a fun day with them. Praying that man on the street corner would find a home? Buy the newspaper he's selling.

Are you truly praying in a way that you're ready for God to use you as part of the solution?