A thanks-filled season

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. 

(William Arthur Ward)

But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God. (Psalm 50:23)

Keeping to God's path may seem a little fraught with potholes and tripping points at times. We set out well but soon encounter 'stuff' that gets in our way. We wonder where all that 'stuff' came from - why it is blocking our way on God's path. It is likely that we have gathered all that 'stuff' at some point in our lives, tucking it away ever so carefully, and now we must deal with it. The 'stuff' I am speaking of is not physical stuff tucked away in garage cabinets and storage sheds. It is the 'stuff' that we have tucked away in other 'cabinets' like our emotions, memories, and spirit. 

When those things get in the way of us traveling the straight path with God, it is hard for us to give truthful thanksgiving, isn't it? We might even want to be a little less than 'complimentary', bordering on complaint instead of thanks toward God. He didn't put that 'stuff' there - we did! Now it is time for us to deal with it, but thankfully we don't have to do so alone. God will help us - all we need to do is ask. He delights in revealing the 'path' of salvation to all who ask. Salvation is more than dealing with our sin. It also carries the meaning of deliverance from harm, ruin or loss. That stuff fits into one of those categories.

Gratitude for God's deliverance begins when we ask him for it. He has it all wrapped up for us and is ever so eager to 'gift us' with that deliverance. He doesn't force it on us, though. He waits for us to ask for him to remove that 'stuff' that clutters our thought life, emotional well-being, or spirit. Herein is the rub - we don't like that 'stuff' to be present in our lives, but we also don't want to let it go! We hold onto it for dear life thinking it must serve some purpose. It does - it clutters our lives and makes our forward progress almost impossible until it is finally dealt with! 

Giving thanks is a sacrifice. Giving up the stuff in our lives that only serves to keep us from progressing in our relationship with Jesus and others sets us free to truly enter into praise and worship with a thankful and free heart. We don't want all that 'stuff' getting in the way - so why not let it go now and see what God's path looks like for us in the upcoming year. It could be the beginning of a very 'thanks filled' season! Just sayin!