Tag Archives: thankfulness

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Hope That NEVER Disappoints

Spring has always been a time of hope for me.

As a child I looked forward to “spring break” from school. It always meant a trip to North Carolina to begin cleaning up Holly Cove Campground which my parents ran in the summer. We would clean up the camp sites and prepare for the opening in May. The hope of seeing old friends and making new ones in the summer ahead was exciting to me.

In college, spring break meant traveling with friends to a warmer location. The hope of seeing new places encouraged my love of travel.

As a teacher, spring break was a “break”, but also the sign that the school year was almost complete and the hope that the year had been accomplished well for my students.

Since we purchased our first home in 1980, spring has held a new hope for me. The hope of seeing the plants bloom in our garden. Our first home was an older farmhouse built in 1930 and weeds and brush had really grown up around the yard. As Phil and I worked cutting back the brush it was delightful to see what grew underneath. I greeted each new day with an anticipation of what would push through and bloom. We lived in that home 25 years and those flowers were a blessing we added to each year.

In 2005 we moved to another older home, built in 1880, and my parents moved in with us. This yard had been carefully planted by Peggy Queen Mason and it has older plants from 100 years ago as well as many Mrs. Mason added in the 1980’s. Again we were excited to see all that bloomed in spring since we had moved in in November. We have lovingly added to our garden planting a tree in honor of each of our grandchildren.

Now each spring I anticipate with hope the joy of seeing what will grow and bloom in our garden.

Yet one concern I always have is a late freeze. How many times have I enjoyed lovely warm days in early spring? Then, there is a a late freeze and budding flowers turn brown. My hopes of enjoying those blooms are dashed! We have had days in the 70’s this week and everything is blooming and buds are swelling! I found myself worrying about a late freeze.

I was talking about this with my friend Alice Marie and she reminded me that worrying doesn’t change anything. It is a waste of emotional and spiritual energy. Instead she encouraged me to ENJOY those flowers that are currently blooming instead of focusing on something I have no control over – the weather.

It reminded me of the way I focus on possible tragedies that my children or grandchildren may face – like when they are learning to drive. When I focus on the dangers one faces living in our broken, fallen world, I miss enjoying the blessing of today..

In Romans 5:3-5 Paul addresses this very issue.

3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Hope in God never leads to ultimate disappointment. It is founded in the faithfulness of God. That does not mean we won’t face disappointing circumstances in our daily lives – WE WILL! But God’s love for us is eternal and the confident hope of our salvation is sealed by His Holy Spirit. Come what may in my life, my hope is in God’s everlasting love for me.

So I will enjoy all the flowers blooming this week and not let worry of a future I cannot control damper the glorious demonstration of God’s love for us in His creation.

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Grace – the Perfect Gift

We have just finished a season of giving – and receiving. As I get older (I just celebrated my 71st birthday) my focus is less and less on “stuff” for presents and more on giving “experiences”.

This desire has backfired recently. Our daughter told me her son said “Nana always gives us a present, then we don’t get to do it”

Full disclosure – So, three years ago we scheduled NASCAR Go-Cart rides for all the grandkids but had to cancel because some family members had COVID and some couldn’t travel because of COVID. (we did get to ride go-carts together this summer – just two and one-half years later) Then last year we planned to go snow tubing – but it was raining so we all went to an indoors play center with trampolines, games, and simulated rides. This year we again planned to go snow tubing but it was 14 degrees and everyone felt that it was TOO cold. That is when our grandson made the above statement. For children a delayed experience may seem like it never happens. (we ended up giving them money – a last resort)

This got me thinking about receiving God’s grace. It is clearly a gift, scripture mentions that fact repeatedly. Grace is unmerited favor and God gives us grace – not because we have

  • earned it
  • deserved it
  • paid for it
  • said the correct words
  • worn the correct clothes
  • served the poor
  • prayed enough

You get the idea. NOTHING I do can merit God’s matchless, unconditional grace.

Ephesians 2:8-9 says –

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves,

it is the gift of God – 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

God’s grace is a gift.

His grace keeps on giving.

Unlike Nana’s gifts that sometimes change at the last minute or are delayed because of weather, God’s gift of grace is eternal. It never expires or is canceled. It is never late or misplaced.

God’s grace is the perfect gift.

Just as God has extended His grace to us, may we extend His grace to others this year.

Blessings in the New Year – 2023!

We did get in snow tubing on December 29th. It was cold, but not 14 degrees!

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Thankful, Tender Hearts

I wrote the following post in 2016. Yet I feel it is just as important today when I think about celebrating all I have to be thankful for. May God bless you and yours this Thanksgiving.

“There are many people in our country and the world today that are suffering. The pain, fear,and loss they are facing leaves little room to be thankful.

Here I am, looking forward to the arrival of some of our children, grandchildren and friends tomorrow. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because I enjoy the family gathering, the food, and the focus on being thankful.

Yet I know many are not blessed the way I am. Recently, friends from church lost their college aged son in a tragic accident. A school bus crashed this week causing the loss of five young children. What is there to be thankful for in these situations?

A dear young mother recently shared in our women’s Bible study group that she was dealing with reconciling the fact that –

God is good,

God is faithful,

Yet the pain of the loss of seemingly senseless death lingers.

We are studying Ezekiel, a challenging book heavy with judgement. Yet this young mother shared that she felt challenged by the following verse. Ezekiel 36:26 –

26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.

“Do the situations around me cause me to harden my heart, or soften my heart?”

When my young friend said this – I realized – that is the challenge for me as well.

Will I allow situations around me, and personal suffering to harden my heart? Will I allow God to give me a new, tender heart that is able to see and feel His presence in the midst of suffering?

We have much to be thankful for, yet the suffering some face is very real.

The book Defiant Joy, the Remarkable Life and Impact of G.K.Chesterton by Kevin Belmonte recounts that during a period of utter despair, Chesterton “was filled with both an enormous sense of thankfulness, and an enormous need for someone or something to thank.” (p. 218) This insight caused Chesterton to embrace Christianity. He went on to become a critic and writer that greatly influenced the lives of C.S.Lewis among countless others. “The test of all happiness” he wrote, “is gratitude; and I felt grateful.” (p. 221) The defining quality of his life as described by his contemporaries was JOY. Thankfulness leads to joy.

Notice that it was “during a period of utter despair” that Chesterton came to the point of recognizing his need for God. He had a change of heart.

As we gather this Thanksgiving, let us remember to pray for those throughout the world who are suffering in loss and fear.

Pray that we would have tender, thankful hearts to experience God’s faithfulness and love in the midst of all we face.”