A Time for Giving Thanks

One of the songs that usually brings me to tears in my new life, my empathetic life, is a song by Todd Agnew entitled, "Still Here Waiting."  The chorus recalls the fact that when the singer/writer finally turned around and stopped running toward the things he desired and started walking back toward God and the things He wanted for the sinner, that God was there, waiting with arms open, every time.  It seems I spend a lot of time like the sinner in this song, walking purposely away from this God who wants to warmly cloth me in His blessings.  I spend days and weeks walking angry at life around me ignoring God who is always there waiting quietly.  Each time I catch a glimpse of Him through my anger fueled view of the world I am halted, forced to view myself as the worst of what I see in this world.  I have had a few of those moments recently, each time catching a glimpse of the joy I could be enjoying instead of the blackness that fills me most days.

I read somewhere that purposely expressing thanks to someone each day is an easy way to change your outlook, though it takes persistence, making it a habit is the key.  I am going to use these days leading up to Thanks Giving Day to poke a few holes in my attitude, letting a little light in. "How hard can it be?"

God forgive me...  You have given me eyes with which I can see.  I can see the glories of your hands.  I daily look upon the master strokes of this world you have created.  I am able to look at blessing after blessing that you have purposed to place in my life.  All these things I do, and yet I choose to close my eyes to all of them and instead look at what appear to me as wrongs and mistakes.  I look too often at the things sinful man has made of this world and I let my heart turn dark.  Lord, help me to look for those things that you purpose for me.  These eyes you have given me are not as clear as in years past, and maybe they have grown dim because of the darkness I have chose to fixate on.  One thing I have noticed in the past few months is that I am forced to look more closely at things when I really want to see them, and I wonder if that is by design.  Are you helping me to more closely attend to the people in my life? Thanks I give to you, as well as I can, for these eyes I have.  Thanks for the glimpses of beauty that are still present around me though I have chosen to darken my view of things.  Thank you, Lord, for giving me new opportunities to see You more clearly.  Help me to be more aware of the blessings you have designed for my eyes to see.