Gratitude!

This post is to thank God for all that He is, all that He has done, and all that He continues to do in my life, by His awesome grace!

Well Happy New Year to everyone!
I am so grateful for all that God did for me in 2013.  What an awesome, awesome year that was!  God blessed me amazingly in every area in my life.  Where should I start?  It is as if He just opened His hands and poured out His gracious blessings right onto my head.  He blessed me in my businesses. He blessed me financially. He blessed me in my relationships with others.  He granted me further and deeper understanding about life, love, the universe and everything!  He blessed me in my relationship with Him.  He upheld me countless times, when I could not hold myself up, He filled my mouth with laughter, He gave me joy in my heart, He broadened my horizons.  He forgave my many sins, He picked me up every time I fell.

Seriously, 2013 was such an amazing year for me.   He also blessed me with amazing Christian fellowship.  Now I have not just one, but actually two prayerful, Bible-believing churches, led by people who genuinely pursue Christ, right here in this city, even within walking distance!  Not only that, but He also blessed me with an amazing fellowship of like-minded ladies, where we just meet to pray and then to eat.  To be honest it is still early days with the fellowship as with the churches, but this fellowship has already proven to be such a blessing in my life.

All of these things are in addition to the regular day to day things that it is so easy to take for granted: a warm spacious house, running water, health, delicious and abundant food, arms that work, legs that work, a body in excellent working order, lovely flatmates, a peaceful lifestyle, loving family, beautiful clothes, so many lovely possessions, everything that I need and so much that I want, day by day companionship, the joy of being alive, the privilege of seeing each new day.

Perhaps the greatest blessing that God gave me in 2013 was the gift of gratitude itself. So often I would wonder where my joy had gone.  But then I would sit down and literally start counting my blessings.  And I would realise then, that it is simply impossible to list all that God does or has done for me.  And just being mindful of all the countless things I have to be grateful for is enough to keep a smile on my face. Without doubt, there remain things that I am asking God for. However, just remembering all that I have everyday is enough to keep me feeling positive and even patient as I look to Him.  What an awesome provider God is.  And the same way He provides for me is the same way He provides for each one of us on earth.  All of us  have profound reasons for gratitude to God. I know that some people might be going through very very difficult situations, and I don’t want to minimise those difficulties. But you know what, each new day is a chance for fresh hope.

And you know what is possibly the most amazing thing about God?  (What a challenge I am setting myself, to try to pick out God’s most amazing feature!)  Well this is one of the candidates, certainly – the fact that God always remains the same.  Wow!  The same God He was in 2013 is the same God He was when I was born, the same God He was before I was born, the same God He has been throughout history, from the beginning of the world,  the same God He will always be.  Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13v8)  So looking ahead into 2014 I can state with all confidence that God will remain the same.  The same grace, the same love, the same tenderness He demonstrated to me in 2013, and every day of my life thus far, will remain His motivation towards me for every day of my life here on earth, and beyond earth, into eternity with Him.

Thank You so much, my Lord and Father, thank You for loving me, thank You for granting me Your amazing grace, thank You for blessing me with the privilege of being called Your daughter!  😉