Thanksgiving – wait, isn’t it New Years?!

“Thanksgivings will pour out of the windows;
    laughter will spill through the doors.
Things will get better and better.
    Depression days are over.
They’ll thrive, they’ll flourish.”

– Jeremiah 30:18-21

 

 

 

 

 

These words have been ringing true in my life and I’m so very grateful!! As the new year begins, I have been absolutely praising God for all of the amazing things he did last year. Literally, if someone would have told me a year ago all that would happen last year, I wouldn’t have believed them. Everything definitely is not perfect, but it’s much better.

Why am I telling you this? If you are in a hard place right now, know that it will get better. If you are in an awesome place, know that hard times will come. What are the things we can do now to prepare us for whatever future lies ahead?

1. Gratitude

No matter your current situation, your level of gratitude will make all of the difference. When times are hard, find things every single day to be thankful for. In this country, even our worst days tend to be good compared to much of the world. According to World Poverty Statistics, if you live on more than $10/day you are richer than 80% of the world! We have so much to be grateful for!

2. Record Your Blessings

Journal, notes, shreds of random paper…Whatever format works for you, keep some sort of record of the blessings of God. Beth Moore came up with a great name for these records. She calls it a GodStop, in which STOP is an acronym for Savoring The Observable Presence. I LOVE this!! I think God must get so frustrated with us because he does things ALL the time for us, yet we frequently don’t notice or thank Him for all he’s done. With a GodStop journal, all it takes is a moment to jot down what He has just done in your life, His very presence in your daily life. Then, when faced with a difficult day or week or season, you can read back through and be encouraged by the faithfulness He has already demonstrated in your life.

God is faithful – we just forget sometimes.

3. Relationships

Good friendship are so incredibly valuable. Relationships that endure take a continuous investment of time. As lovely as it is to have friends on Facebook and know what your old high school buddy’s kid looks like, social media does not a good friend make. You need to invest in real life people, preferably that live nearby. When you are having a hard time, you need people who can actually sit in front of you to listen and give real hugs. Early last year, I had a day of great despair. I was crying in front of two dear friends, asking why I should continue to hope when all I was getting was disappointment in return. I said I didn’t think I could hope anymore. My sweet friend said, “Then we will have faith and hope for you until you are able.” That’s a real friend!! They followed through with that promise and now have shared in the joy I’ve been experiencing as God has turned things around. Friendships like that have to be a priority, they don’t just appear when you need them.

4. Prayer

I’ve saved the best for last. Prayer is SO powerful!! I cannot say enough about the incredible gift we have to be able to pray and be heard by God. I think many of us have a strange idea of what prayer looks like. If that’s you, find a way to connect with God through prayer. You don’t have to use fancy words or even bow your head. Just talk to Him. He is listening.

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” (John 5:14-15)

Incredible! What a promise! I have tried to cause change myself in certain situations and failed over and over again. However, when I have diligently prayed, God has done miraculous things. He has brought change that has so exceeded my expectations I have been left in awe.

He is a good God. He desires to do good in your life.

If times are hard, offer a sacrifice of praise. If times are good, give Him the glory!

I pray that 2016 will be our best year yet and may God get the glory!!