Simply Grateful…That’s the Post!
Image of words that read, “His faithfulness will never let you down.” Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash
If the Lord allows, we will see the year 2025 in a few short hours. Wow. It’s hard to believe that we’ve come through another year, and more importantly, that we have life, health and breath to say so. To God be the glory! To be sure, it’s been a year of exceedingly joy and unimaginable trust in God to “make it alright.” As the Lord allows me to age, I’m learning to be grateful in everything and to see His goodness in the crevices of calamity. When I say that throughout the year, He blew my mind, I’m telling the truth; and there were times that I wondered if He still knew my name. And then, like clockwork, His assurance revealed itself in another person, through a word, a gesture, even a song to let me know that He was still on the throne and what I was navigating was still under His watchful eye. So, as I ponder the year ahead, I cannot help but pause and shout a Hallelujah and sit in my seat of gratitude to my Heavenly Father for another 365 days with reasonable health, a sound mind, a place to lay my head, family who love me, a church that challenges me, a job that gives me joy, a YMCA membership to strengthen my temple and friends who make me laugh when everything around me is crumbling. I cannot help but to be grateful. I cannot help but to be thankful. I cannot help but to remind myself that it is only by His grace and mercy, that I still stand.
God answered prayers that I prayed. God answered prayers that I was too apprehensive to speak aloud. God surprised me! God has some prayers on layaway that I will carry beyond when the clock strikes 12. But through it all, He’s been faithful! As I listen to others who question their belief in the existence of God - I get it - but I choose to quiet my doubt and exchange it for His divinity. Yesterday morning during praise and worship at my church, the choir sang one of my favorite songs. It is entitled, “Be praised.” One of my sisters in Christ and birthday twin knows me and knew that I was in full blown worship from the onset of the song. It’s a song that I play on repeat while driving when I need to remind myself of the miraculous God I serve when I am facing the impossible. There is a line in the song which says, “Let there never be a day that I don’t rise to bring you praise!” If I am to name a posture for 2025, it is simply that. Lord, make me to praise you in every situation, in every circumstance, in every valley, in every mountaintop, in joy, in despair, in sickness and in health! Make me to remember that you are God in everything! Psalm 63:3 declares, “Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.” Hallelujah! That suggests that no matter what we encounter, before we “claim” 2025 as anything, we commit to believe that His love is better than anything we encounter and that it will not diminish, no matter what we face! May we bless the Lord at all times and be grateful, today, at midnight on the cusp of 2025 and throughout the year. That’s the post. Simply grateful.