Submission With a Dash of Stubborn Faith

I've been counting my gifts and it's led me to remember that what I really want more of is God. Don't get me wrong. His gifts are great! I have been counting the ways that He loves me during this season of thankfulness! But I feel my heart telling me I need something more.

How can we uniquely celebrate Thanksgiving well this week?

I think it has to do with acknowledging not just the things that we wanted that He has given us. You know, those things we like to think were really our ideas. I'm trying to remember and thank God for all those things that weren't my ideas. They might not have been comfortable or what I would have chosen, but they have grown my character and my faith. We tend to not label them as gifts...even though they are.

The "no's" come to mind as something we don't celebrate.

The "not right now" is the one I've struggled with lately.

I'm working on remembering how God has taken those things and blessed me with them over the years of my life. It's a kind of worshiping by choice. Choosing to see with eternal eyes instead of just temporal.

There are some things I've been asking God, and I am getting a "not yet".

Do you have any of these in your life?

I'm choosing this week to thank God for who He despite the answers I don't have yet. I'm praising God for answers He is going to give, ways He is going to work things out, breakthroughs that haven't arrived yet.

It's submission with a dash of stubborn faith.

Does your heart need a bit of this too?

I'm stacking up the fullness of all the "Yes" answers, but leaving room beside them to be thankful for the "maybe", "not yet", and even "no".

I'm keeping at these prayers because I know God hears me and I can trust that He will give the right answer, as always on time.

This is a safe filter for my prayers and yours:

But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness. Psalm 69:13 ESV

This week I'm acknowledging the God I'm praying to as the perfect giver of the "yes", the "no", and the "not yet".