Just a few evidences of God’s unmerited favor on me that I’m thankful for as the sun rises on December…
i. my family.
Singing crazy Christmas carols, laughing hysterically, stacking wood, talking about music or football or whatever else happens to surface… I really, really enjoy having all my siblings and my cousins together once in awhile. :)
ii. pretty arrangements of apples in the doorway and the bounty I have been given.
iii. light, my paintbrush.
As a photography student, I might as well describe myself as a student of light—natural, available, and artificial. Like most amateurs, natural light has been my primary course of study on my own, but my New York Institute of Photography course has opened up a world of exciting possibilities with other kinds of light—as well as better ways to maximize the outdoor light I always work with.
iv. getting excited about Christmas.
Amy has been handwriting personalized copies of her Christmas list for every member of the family and begging Mom to start getting the Christmas decorations out!
v. kitty cats.
Cats fascinate me. :)
vi. a godly man and 83 days to go.
The Bible says that a virtuous wife is of worth above rubies. But what about a godly man? He is rare indeed, for nothing is harder than trying to fill the symbolic role of Christ in a relationship—and he’s priceless because of it. I am blessed.
vii. words:
viii. music:
I am so thankful for a love so deep that neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither present nor future, nor any powers, any height or depth, or anything else in all of Creation can separate me from it. (Romans 8:38-39)
If you don’t know this love as your own, you need it. You can’t buy it, you can’t earn it, you can’t even borrow it from someone else—but you can take it from the Hand that offers it.
ix. Bible:
“I delight in Your law. It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes. The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.” Psalm 119:70b-72
There was a time when I would have taken the silver and gold over this Book any day—it seemed so big and intimidating and difficult to understand. And spending last year learning it required more sacrifice and endurance from me than anything I’ve done in my life (so far—marriage will probably trump it pretty soon!). But I am thankful for every affliction I went through—homesickness, shin splints, sleep deprivation, classmate drama, six weeks on crutches, head lice, relationship strain, and concussion, just to name a few—because they all played a role in shaping my heart to live, love, and breathe the truth and changelessness of God’s Word. Difficulty is one of God’s most effective classrooms when the heart is yielding! It is my prayer that the Church—myself included—would count trials a small price to pay for the surpassing value of knowing the Lord intimately.
I'm going to say something trivial :)
ReplyDeleteI love this post.