When I started the Thankfulness Series, January 7, I had no idea the twists and turns my life was about to take. My husband accepted the call to a new church in a different town. Although, I am so excited to make this move, our lives have been chaotic for the last few months. In the midst of preparing to sell the house, cleaning closets, reevaluating accumulated stuff, showing the house, many dinners eaten out, long drives to church, anxiety over making new friends, finding a new house… Oh! and raising 5 kids, I accidentally packed away my notes for this series. After opening a few boxes, my faithful husband, found my notes. I’m so glad that he did because during a time of uncertainty, it’s so good to be reminded that there is no darkness in Christ Jesus, the Good Shepherd.

Our history of painful relationships has taught us not to fully trust anyone, not even ourselves. We’ve all served others or said nice things or bought gifts for someone else with selfish motives. Maybe we wanted to be accepted into the right crowd, to be elevated to a place of honor, or to bolster our self-esteem. It’s almost mind-boggling to fully comprehend that in Christ there is no darkness, no deceit, no manipulation, no selfish motivations. Jesus alone is fully trust-worthy.

Lately, I’ve been meditating on Psalm 23. “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” This scripture dove deep into my soul, beckoning me to trust my Shepherd. I consciously choose to lay down my wants, wishes, desires…etc. and receive what Christ is giving to me. The amazing part of this is that I feel less rushed, more at peace, more hopeful, and less self-conscience. My Shepherd wants to lead me to a life that brings honor and glory to the Father. Jesus warned me that this means that there will be times of suffering and persecution, various trials and testings of my faith. I’ve come to understand that this life will not look like the American Dream, but when I think about eternity, there is no comparison.

A good saying to remember is Proverbs 17:1

“Better a dry crust with peace and quiet
   than a house full of feasting, with strife.”