I’m visiting my family and friends in Canada for a short two-and-a-half weeks, which luckily has coincided with Thanksgiving here in the Great White North. The autumn leaves are falling off trees in brilliant shades of yellow, orange and red. The air is crisp. And I am just so incredibly grateful to get to experience it.
My short trip is giving me time to reconnect with people I haven’t seen in a year, when I first left for Brisbane and what was going to be a six-month training course with YWAM. It’s just been so great to see my family and friends, even my childhood town, through “new eyes”. Being away for a year has given me a bit of a new perspective. All I can see is that I’m blessed. Period. And I’m so thankful for it all.
The Doxology, an old-school song of thanksgiving, totally rocks when you break it down:
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise Him all creatures, here below.
Praise Him all you heavenly host.
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Praise Him all creatures, here below.
Praise Him all you heavenly host.
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Sure the vocabulary and melody might remind us of a bunch of aging or uptight Puritans. But really, it reads like a modern-day worship song, and the praise in my own heart right now. Let me paraphrase for a moment:
God is amazing! Look at all the great things, experiences and people He’s put in my life.
Everything: humans, animals and nature should be shouting for joy about the great stuff God is doing.
Even the spirits in heaven can’t contain themselves.
We’re all just so ecstatic about the greatness of God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Everything: humans, animals and nature should be shouting for joy about the great stuff God is doing.
Even the spirits in heaven can’t contain themselves.
We’re all just so ecstatic about the greatness of God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
I guess it’s easy for me to say a “Praise God” when things are good. But my prayer and hope is that I can say that no matter the circumstances. I had an amazing revelation of that on my flight from Brisbane to Los Angeles. I’m not a good flyer. I cringe, get sweaty palms, and grasp for the arm-rests at the slightest bump or bounce during the trip. But this time I came to a realization. God is still God no matter what. He’s God when things are good. He’s still God when things are awful.
That’s definitely something to be thankful for.
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The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the word. Psalm 19:1-4 (NIV)
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the word. Psalm 19:1-4 (NIV)
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