~With a Grateful Heart be Joyful in all things~

 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

There are times in my life when I feel surrounded by certain words, ideas or instances where something happens again and again until you come to the realization that this means something and you should acknowledge it.  Lately I have been placed in certain situations where I have been given the words, pray continually, be grateful and be joyful.  Lo and behold there is a bible verse that say’s that very thing!

In BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) in our recent notes there was a passage that jumped off the pages at me, it said to pray before, during and after every circumstance.  That means to be in constant communication with our Heavenly Father, not when you want something or are in crisis, but always.  How can something expressed so simply be so evasive to comprehend, and to adhere to in our daily lives? 

Last week I and several of my family members received a package in the mail that said open on December 14^th, which would be the beginning of the 12 days of Christmas.  I must admit I was conjuring up all sorts of ideas and thoughts in my head.  The package was from my brother Jim, in Oklahoma, and he is notorious for always remembering everyone in our immediate family with a gift.  He has always had a very generous and fun loving spirit, and it makes for great expectations when his gift arrives.  This year his gift was no exception, it surpassed all expectations and then some.  It had everything a gift should have it was made to be long-lasting, it had a sense of humor attached to it and it was sent with many memories from a Christmas long ago.  Our brother, uncle and Dad Jim has the true gift of Joy in his heart and I thank him for reminding us all that the spirit of the Christmas season is JOY.  Whether we have gifts a plenty or someone to share the Christmas season with, it does not really matter, because if we have JOY inside of us then it will spill over and grow unceasingly until all is touched by it.

Gratefulness is an everyday experience.  Today and always I am grateful for dear parents who cared for us and raised us to be thankful, for each other and the gift of family.  When I married I not only became a wife, I became a daughter-in-law, and a sister-in-law to a loving, caring, and Christian family.  When I was a small girl it was placed on my heart, that the man I would marry, would be a Man of God first and foremost, as well as having loving, caring and generous characteristics and a desire to be a Dad who would lead his family in a Godly way.  God fulfilled the desires of my heart when he shared Curt with me for 41 years.  During those years he allowed me to grow, and to be independent, while showing me how to take care of our household when he wasn’t there, all lessons hard learned and frustrating at times.  Today I am most grateful for those lessons they have proven to be invaluable. 

Over the last, almost now 4 years, without Curt and longer for our folks, I have had to manage and take care of worldly things that have been tiresome, tedious, and overwhelming at times.  Through it all I have felt God’s spirit. Our folk’s spirit and Curt’s spirit guiding and directing my journey.  As I was sitting in the living room while doing my morning meditation the clock hanging on the wall fell down and landed on the mirrored table right under it with a bang.  I was at first aggravated and then concerned that everything was broken beyond repair.  Then I was upset when I saw the hole in the wall that was supporting the heavy clock, ‘I thought oh no, I do not have a clue how to fix this, who can I call and how long will it take to get it fixed.’  When you are married to a man such as Curt you are blessed beyond measure when you need things repaired, he was taught well by his Dad, and he would and did try to fix any and all things.  Anyway, I set about cleaning up and moving things about and soon I was able to think rationally about what to do.  I analyzed the hole in the wall, went to my trusty tool box that Curt made just for me, found the tools that I needed ,a molly that would fit the hole, a screw to fit the molly, a screwdriver to screw in the screw and Wa La problem solved.

I am prayerful and grateful that life is not always easy.  Life is meant to be a journey, and the journey is fraught with hills, valleys, twists, turns and curves you cannot see around, I have found that those are the experiences that have given VALUE and JOY to my life, without them it would be a very mundane existence.  Every day we are touched by life.  God shares a new heavenly soul with the world and carries an earthly soul home to be with him.  Our understanding of this process is part of the mystery of life itself.  As I have become more ‘seasoned’ some of those mysteries have been revealed and questions I once was afraid to know the answers too, are now assurances that ease my heart.   Saying this I can honestly share this message of continual prayer, being always joyful and being eternally grateful for the blessing of life that God has given us.  For all of you that may read this know that you are loved beyond measure by our Heavenly Father and if you have not invited him into your heart, then I ask you to search your heart and ask him in, he is waiting for your invitation, and you will be forever grateful for making this covenant with him.  God Bless all who read this.  Linda Sue Johnson Lane





A counted Cross Stitch  I made for our parents

Muriel Rose Engle and Byron Trent Johnson

Juanita Mae Hanson and Oliver Harold Lane



                                                                     Linda Sue Johnson and Curtis Andrew Lane