Savor This

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!🦃🍽🍂 I hope you're able to rest, stay warm, and enjoy lots of good food! I want to take time to share some brief thoughts about gratitude.

Something that was an encouraging, joyful experience for me just drew to a close. A couple evenings ago, I found myself feeling very sad about it. However, the depth of pain I experienced wasn't logical in proportion to the circumstance. I thought and prayed about this, and sensed that something more nuanced was at play.

Then I realized...I was afraid. Afraid that the conclusion of this specific opportunity somehow indicated the fact that all the good things will run out. Lately I've been learning that difficult seasons and joyful seasons can present different sets of challenges. One of the struggles that I tend to rub up against during happier moments is exactly what I just described: a desire to peek around the corner and know when I can expect the storm clouds to roll in.

Humans aren't made to possess this kind of knowledge, though. If we did, it would probably destroy us. Although it's a hard truth to accept, there's beauty in not knowing. Our ignorance forces us to lean into God for comfort, like how a small child is dependant on a parent to supply their basic needs.

How does all this tie back to gratitude? I love listening to Annie F. Down's podcast, and I keep thinking about a phrase she used in a recent episode: savor this. In other words, choose to be present, and receive this moment as an opportunity to connect with God, people, and yourself. The upcoming year might feel overwhelming, but I can do today.

I can thank Jesus for the sunrise, for breath, for the coffee in my mug, for family, and for His presence in all these things. I can praise Him for the unexpected fragments of light that have strengthened me in the midst of shadowy times. And I can trust that the good things won't run out, but will take on different forms in different seasons - tangible representations of the endless creativity of my kind Father.

The holidays are a messy and anxiety-inducing time for many people. I'm sure many of you are facing difficulties right now that I could never imagine. I pray that, wherever you're at, your day would be filled with peace and grace.🧡

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“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

“And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today."

Matthew 6:25-34