Hello My Chickadees,
Thanksgiving is a time of remembering; remembering loved ones, remembering good times, and remembering the goodness of the Lord and all that He has blessed us to do, see, and have. In short, it is an opportunity to give thanks for the many blessings in our lives. However, for many people it is a reminder of loss, loneliness, and sadness; associated with what was, and of times that have passed.
In preparing this Thanksgiving message I was reminded of the story of Noah and the flood, and despite the inconvenience of rain, just like in the story, the rain had a purpose. Rain is seldom welcomed unless you’ve been in a drought, and it is often associated with a loss, a crisis, or some other unforeseen mishap that rocked our world and shook our foundation. As I reflected upon the rain of this pandemic that took something away from all of us, and at times felt overwhelming - especially when it swept away our loved ones - I am reminded that the God who allowed it has a purpose and a plan for all that He does and allows. We may not understand it at the time, and there are some things we may never understand. When we find ourselves asking WHY, and as human as that is, if we stay stuck at ‘why,’ we never get to the new thing that God is doing in our lives.
One of the positive purposes of rain is that it refreshes and makes way for renewal. Rain waters the seeds of God’s promises that are often lying dormant in our hearts until life happens. There are those unexpected, unscheduled, unforeseen detours on the road to happiness, and we find ourselves in the valley of loss, sadness, and in some cases, despair. Although we do not control the rain, we can control our perspective about the rain. Our perspective impacts our mood, attitude, and outlook on life. If we perceive the rain as punitive and allow how we feel to shape our perspective, we can find ourselves on the slippery slope of doubting and questioning God’s love and care for us. When this happens, we may begin disconnecting from the life-source that we need to navigate through the storm to our new beginning. But if we embrace the rain as an opportunity to anchor onto God’s promises for us, and we allow Him to step into our brokenness, and refresh our hearts with the latter rain that waters the seeds of His word in us; it will quicken our spirit and renew our soul like the Eagle Isaiah talked about in Chapter 40:31. The promise that God made to those who wait on Him is that: “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint.”
We may not know what tomorrow holds, but we know who holds tomorrow, and He has made promises that can anchor us and carry us through the storms of life. Just like He promised Noah after the flood that He would “Never send another flood to kill all living creatures and destroy the earth” (Genesis 9:11). Verse 13 tells us that He placed a rainbow after the storm as a sign and reminder of His promise.
God is faithful to every promise He has made to us in His word. He did not promise that we would not have trials, tribulations, or storms in our lives; but He did promise that He would not leave us nor forsake us and that He would see us through (Hebrews 13:5).
For those who find themselves in a valley of loss and sadness this Thanksgiving and the approaching holiday season, take courage and allow the light of God’s promises to water the seeds of hope in your heart and renew your spirit. This Thanksgiving, choose not to dwell on what you may have lost, but instead reflect upon the promises of what you will gain as you give Him your broken pieces and allow Him to fashion something new in, through and for you.
In closing, I would like to share with you some words of wisdom that my bank teller shared with me at the beginning of the year. For those who are grieving loss, abandonment, rejection, or may be feeling lonely, I hope that these inspirational sayings will help you find your bow after the rain:
· “Whatever you do, NEVER run back to what broke you.” Frank Ocean
· “Not all storms come to disrupt your life, some come to clear your path.”
· “You can’t start a new chapter of your life if you keep rereading the last one.”
· “When life puts you in tough situations, don’t say ‘Why Me’, say ‘Try Me.”
· “Boundaries are your responsibility. You decide what is and isn’t allowed in your life.”
Love, Peace and Blessings My Chickadees.
Happy Thanksgiving, Gail