This past weekend I was part of a wedding. I got to help with setting some stuff up, hanging out with the bridal party for the day, and then MC'ing the reception.
For part of the morning, I ran a couple of errands with the bride and groom. It just so happened that we basically got every single red light possible.
I mentioned as I noticed red light after red light after red light something along the lines of,
"Sometimes when I'm driving and get a lot of reds, I like to think that maybe God's protecting me from something".
Like - if we had gotten all the green lights that we wanted maybe we would have gotten in an accident, or caused one.
The same goes for slow cars, or things that come up as I drive that hinder me from getting where I'm going at the speed I'd prefer.
Really, it's true for all of my life. There's so much that goes on completely unseen.
I so often look towards the big things in my life where my plans failed and then I'll see God's hand in it.
So . . . why do I only take time to thank Him for the big things?
I'll see, sometimes days, weeks, months, or years later that God was setting me on a different path. His protection is so grand. I'll suddenly figure out that God was working me in a path that gave Him more glory than the path I was heading in.
This is the same for everyday life.
For this Thursday - Thanks!, I'm aiming my heart in gratitude towards a God who is so big and powerful that He's working in ways that I'll never know.
I'll never know how many car accidents, severe illnesses, heartbreaks, etc., that I should have gotten in or how many other ways in my day that God provided safety even amidst my complete lack of awareness.
I've written about the season where I walked away from God. In that season, I made a lot of sinful errors. God still has to bring so much peace to my soul on almost a weekly basis for the shame I tend to gravitate towards.
He graciously whispers grace upon grace upon grace upon grace married with mercy after mercy after mercy after mercy.
He's a good God.
I was selfish and lived to satisfy myself. There was one big decision that I wrestled with for a while in that season which truly would have changed my life and I honestly think, looking back now, that it might have ruined me.
Even though I was far far far off from God and living in no way for Him, He provided a way out. He made it so that there was no way that I could make the decision and satisfy myself. On the week when I would have gone forward with the decision (and yes I know I'm being vague about this decision - if you wanna know more about it, take me out for a coffee - I'll share it in person), I got really sick. So sick that I had to stay home and couldn't go out and do what I wanted to do.
God is so good. It's almost overwhelming to type this because I can't even imagine where my life would be if He hadn't welcomed me back into His fold of grace.
So this Thursday, I'm thankful for a God that does so much more for my well being than I will probably ever know.
From red lights to sicknesses, to whatever else I'm unaware of in the moment - I'm oh so grateful. I sure do love Jesus. His grace is incredible.
I'm thankful for the grace of Jesus that comes in a thousand forms on a daily basis.
What about you? What are you thankful for today?
