Thankful on a Thursday 04/28/2011
I’ve already shared this week about feeling pretty down and missing my parents. I didn’t even bother posting on Tuesday because I didn’t have much to say. I’ve been crying and praying and moping and taking sinus medicine for a migraine all week.
And I returned over and over to my old friend–my much underlined and corner folded book of Psalms. If you’re new to the Bible, might I suggest the Psalms? I have found so much comfort there over the last several years. Not only in the praise and thanksgiving, but also in the distress. In the fear. In the feelings of desertion–I’m not the only one! Even David, a man who had a true heart for God, had bad days. Dark days. Days of fear, anxiety, and depression.
“In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God…” (Psalms 18:6a)
But he stood firm in his faith and if you read for more than a few lines, you see that God is always faithful to his people. Deliverance always follows distress. Blessings always follow righteousness. Answers always come.
“… He heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.” (Psalms 18:6b)
My life is no different. This week I’ve struggled with anger, with injustice, with depression and apathy…with “why me?” and “why more?” and “don’t I deserve a break?!”
And His answer?
My God sent me flowers.
Posting these pictures brings tears to my eyes. My gardens have just burst into spring bloom this week. Each day something new. Something bright, something delicate, something bold…something to say “See, your life is not in vain–together we bring beauty to the world!”
I am thankful for roses. For irises. For clematis and spiderwort and azaleas. I am thankful for sunshine and rain. For dirt and compost and worms. For loved ones sharing clippings and plant slips and gifts of green with us. With me. I am thankful for seeing the first hummingbird of the season (no picture though–I was more concerned with coffee at that moment then the camera!)
I’m thankful for fresh asparagus and warm-from-the-nest brown eggs and veggie omlets for dinner …it’s like grocery shopping in our own backyard!
I’m thankful for the first blossoms on our lone peach tree–maybe we’ll finally get some fruit from our “orchard.”
And I am thankful for my early morning bloom-hunters to share it all with!
What are you thankful for this week?
“Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in thy tabernacle forever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.” (Psalms 61:1-4)
I love you and am here if you need me!!!
Honestly, I’m thankful for your Thursday postings. They somehow manage to get me refocused mid-week and remind me of the truly important things in life. Love you!!
You know, I find myself as blessed by these posts as anyone else could be. Even when I don’t want to write anything, the exercise of focusing on the good makes such a difference in my outlook.
I am thankful for finding your blog this week. God gave you flowers and He gave me new connections. Thank you for being here!
Well thanks for stopping by! I think we might share a lot of the same views–it’s so great to meet and connect with new people through blogging!
I love the book of psalms too! It has been a real help and comfort to me over the last two years, and I am very thankful for it. I’m sorry you’re hurting. ♥
I love the thankfulness you shared. I’m always amazed at how much interacting with nature brings such peace and comfort to me, but then I remember that God made us to live in a garden. Your flowers look lovely. We were out enjoying our flowers this morning, and hoping to get our garden started soon.
I’m looking forward to following along with your blog. 🙂
Thanks for visiting! Your blog is such a great encouragement!
I know sometimes people say that beauty is subjective, but I have yet to find someone that doesn’t appreciate nature’s beauty if they only take a moment. We are especially blessed to live somewhere that we are surrounded by it and it doesn’t take much for me to get out there and enjoy it.
Hope your gardening goes well!
I’m visiting from Thought Provoking Thursday and I just wanted to say hello and I’m so glad I stopped by! Your flower pictures are beautiful and I can see why they bring such joy. Psalms is also a favorite of mine–real life, real emotions, real hurt, and real God.
What a great way to put it! It’s such a blessing that I can take my real hurt to my real God and come back blessed. Thanks for stopping by!
Beautiful pictures. Sometimes it is hard to see the beauty when battling depression, but it seems extra sweet when we do.
Sometimes it seems like I have to force myself to look–but there’s always blessings when I do! Thanks for stopping by!
I’m thankful for your continued encouragement at my blog during our tough times!
I’m thankful that we do not live anywhere near where the tornados ripped through.
I’m thankful that they seem to have passed us by so far. Some of them have been quite close (just a few miles south, in our county!) but none have been as bad as AL. Thoughts and prayers to all out there!
And I’m so glad we’ve “met!”