Being thankful and not losing that thankfulness

By Karen Y. Stevens

I have shared, over the last few months, some great miracles that have happened in my life. I know all of them that I shared, was God intervened. Besides these, I have had a lot of experiences in my life that I feel was God taking care of me, but they could be explained by chance, or coincidence. (Not in my mind, but maybe in someone else’s.)

For three days this week, I was in Jury Duty and God reminded me of something that happened in my life that pertained to the trial I was sitting in on.

My story was not the exact story of the defendants, but it had one main element. I lived in Houston at the time of this event, and was taking my sister to Hobby Airport.

It had just started drizzling rain when I hit a high ramp on 610 Loop. My vehicle started spinning out of control, crossing all five lanes and ending up on the shoulder, facing the traffic, perfectly parked on the shoulder, right up next to the concrete barrier in the center of 610.

I did not hit any cars even though it was 4:00 traffic.

The only injury was to the vehicle; which was a 2-inch dent in the back-side end. Amazing! God defiantly was there!

My Pastor has been preaching on being thankful, and not losing that thankfulness. He used the example of being excited about a new job, then in a few years saying you don’t really like the job. The job didn’t change, you did.

King David’s attitude was thankful all the time, as well as a contrite heart. He was even contrite after God took the life of his, and Bathsheba’s son.

Psalms 51:17; King David states, “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.”

And in Isaiah 57:15 states, “For this is what the high and exalted One says— He who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.”

Did that scripture say what I think it said? Yes, it said that God lives on high, but also with us; the ones that have a contrite heart and humble in spirit!

This is ground breaking. Don’t miss this.

All we have to do is be humble and contrite, and God will live with us and not only that, He will raise our spirts to revive us. How great is that!

I know most of us are thankful in the good times. I tend to be more thankful in the bad times. The bad times show me how good I’ve got it, so all I can do is praise God for what He has done for me.

If you’ve lost your contrite spirit, you can get it back. Just start thanking God every day, for everything that He does.

 

Karen Y. Stevens is founder of Orange County Christian Writers Guild