Day 10: Psalms of Praise & Thanksgiving

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, and bless his name!” (Psalm 100: 4)

My life is filled with more than a thousand gifts.

When Ann Voskamp wrote her book One Thousand Gifts, I was mesmerized. I devoured her story, her life, her words, and her spirit. We are born to crave the real and authentic, not the cliche and perfect.

Life is horrendously real. But so is grace. And God Himself covers the horrid circumstance in His haven. He's a real Savior like that.

Because He hung on that cross, your circumstance can no longer hang you up to dry.

Because He died for sin, the effects of another's sin no longer has the power to bring you death.

And just because He lives, you will live, too.

This November, what we get to be most thankful for is that eternity begins in the hearts of women, here and now, today, in all kinds of circumstances--because eternity continues forever with an everlasting God, but circumstances end soon.

Do we see this? He died just for things that would make you curl right up and lose your breath. Picture Him, hanging there, straight up and down with nails piercing His hands and feet so you wouldn't have to curl right up with wounds piercing your heart.

He died so you won't have to. His breath ended so yours can begin strong.

He died so your sin can't destroy you and another's sin can't deaden you.

He rose so you can rise also. He lived here with all your human emotions so you will know that He feels your heart, and then He assures you that when you can't pray, His spirit prays for you.

He's holding our broken hearts in His own healed hands, then lifting them up to the throne for God to breathe over with His love.

Sometimes He sends people, like the grandma who showed up yesterday with four frozen dinners, fresh flowers, and words so wise she blew my soul right up to the glory gates. I was traumatized over court trials, and her heaven-sent wisdom birthed peace into my soul and an awareness that even court can be an opportunity.

Are we thankful today for a God like this?

Allow your soul to be graced with the knowledge of a thousand gifts, and your heart will never lose its wonder.

-Sara