Thankful Hearts

By Angie November 30, 2012 Devotion, Reflection

When I first began blogging, one of the highlights of my weekly adventures in blogland was “Thankful Thursdays”. I would sit up late at night on Wednesday night getting my thankful thoughts ready to blog to the World Wide Web.

I stayed with it for a long time–but there came a day when things got so busy–that I neglected that portion of my week. I was still thankful–but not as diligent. I enjoyed reading the other thankful notes from all over the world–but with computer issues that wouldn’t let me leave comments–or would “freeze-up” at the slightest wrong move on the keyboard–I soon had to lay aside blogging for a while–

The thankfuls still meet and gather each week with their heart of thanksgiving–and it is still an incredible encouragement to ALL who gather around the table.

This week–many days after Thanksgiving Day, I am refocusing my attention on what God desires for me.

Be Thankful.

Be a doer of the Word.

Be attentive to The Spirit.

Be an instigator of thankfulness in the lives of others.

When we “speak thankfulness out”…it causes others to stop (most of the time) their complaining about whatever is bugging them at the moment–and they realize they have something to be thankful for! If only for a few moments–the negative air is charged with a thankful spirit. THAT alone can change the course of your day. Even your life.

In the early days of 2012, I began asking God to show me HIS heart. God indeed began to show me HIS heart. I shared some of these things with a friend recently and a perplexed look crossed their face–like, “How do you see that?”.

While dog sitting in the month of January, during our church-wide fast for the new year, I was seeking God for MORE. More of HIM in me. He began to reveal HIS heart….in unique ways.

On the way outside to feed the dog just as the sun was rising, a spot of “red” caught my attention. It was a red heart. Made of the squeezeable rubber that they use for the tension ball when drawing blood…
Just a few weeks later, while walking from the restaurant, I spied a heart shape embedded like a leaf pattern in the concrete sidewalk…just the imprint of a heart. So simple…yet He used it to speak again.
Again, a month later while in Cambodia, I was snapping pictures as my friend Becky blew bubbles for the children at Ampil School, and I spied His heart…in the forehead of a child. A sticker…stuck.
A heart shape chicken nugget from Chick Filet, a heart shaped whole in a truck mud flap–showed the damage and wear of the journey…but to me–I saw something else.

Don’t think I look for hearts…I don’t. They just seem to look for me.

This morning, just after prayer devotion with a friend, I was messaged a need….a young heart God is speaking to–asked for prayer.

God has been–and IS showing me HIS heart all through this year… I hope I’ve been focused to see each one–I hope I haven’t missed one…

It began with thankfulness. Thankful for what HE has done in MY HEART….and wanting to SHARE that with others.

How thankful is your heart?

Is your heart pliable?

Today, I invite you to examine your heart–ask The Holy Spirit to sweep through and check for things that could be damaging to HIS witness…

I’m glad to be part of Laced with Grace. Glad that they left the door open for me to return after my break. God is faithful calling…speaking…desiring US to be more like HIM. That’s my goal.

As we say in the South, “y’all come back now, ya hear?”