From Thanks"Getting" to Thanks"GIVING"

I woke early and headed to the Well. I stopped and got my coffee with toffee nut creamer and lit a few spiced cider candles before I took my place at the Well. It was still dark and the house was bathed in stillness. He whom my heart loves hadn't arrived yet so while I waited I took a deep breath and let it out - grateful for a day free from rushing about and so glad there was no where I had to hurry off to.

With gratitude in my heart for precious time at the Well I allowed my thoughts to turn to things I was thankful for. That's what Thanksgiving Day is for, isn't it? I began to make a list of all the things I was thankful for: Salvation, home, family, my job (especially in this economy), ministry, friends. I sat thoughtfully tapping my pen on my journal as I prepared to become more detailed in my "Thanks" list, and then looking up I noticed Him.

He was standing at the living room window studying the eastern sky which was still cloaked in darkness. His eyes looked serious as He turned His gaze toward the deep places of my heart and I wondered what He saw there. Feeling a bit exposed I decided to tell Him about my "Thanksgiving list". I held up my journal so He could see it as though He didn't already know all that was written on it; even those things I hadn't thought of yet. He sat down but instead of studying my list He continued to gaze beyond my line of vision to the deepest places of my heart.

"Lord," I began, "did you see my list? I am thankful to you for these things." I thought I sounded quite sincere and I waited in the stillness for Him to approve my "thankfulness". But instead He said something that turned my thoughts inside out. He continued gazing into my heart as He said, "I see 'ThanksGETTING' in your heart." His Words thundered through my soul shaking loose my ideas of giving thanks. I turned my startled heart toward Him whom my soul loves and asked what He meant by "ThanksGETTING".

I read through my list again and as I did the Light of His Presence fell across the page and I saw that the things I had written were things I had "gotten". "Hmmmm," I thought to myself, "ThanksGETTING." I turned my puzzled heart back to Him and together we began to talk about people close to me who were struggling. Some had lost jobs. One dear family had lost a child. Others had lost fathers, husbands, friends. Another was facing fierce battles of the spiritual kind and her family was under attack from an enemy wishing to destroy them. Is it possible to have a thankful heart even in the midst of pain? "These are hard things, Lord," I whispered. I tried to put myself in their shoes and then a question formed in my heart and I knew He had placed it there, "If I lost everything, would I still give thanks? Was He worthy of my thanks apart from anything else?" Knowing my thoughts He gently took me with Him to His Word.

Psalm 107:1 Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His love endures for ever.

Psalm 105:1 Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name.

Psalm 103:1 Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being praise His holy name.

Psalm 101:1 I will sing of your love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will sing praise.

He then took me to Psalm 100 and He read it to me and His Words turned golden in my heart as they cast His light into the dark corners of the deep places I could not see.

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations. (Psalm 100:1-5 NIV.)

Light dawned in my heart as I said, "True thanksgiving begins in worship. I was focused on things received instead of on You - the One who gave them." I looked up into the eyes of Him who patiently teaches me and loves my often slow to understand heart. His eyes were still serious but ablaze with His glory.

Words from Isaiah 9:6 poured into my heart then, "And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." "Oh," I cried, You are gloriously enough and worthy of all my praise and all my thanks simply because of who You are." I realized anew the importance of knowing the Lord - knowing His character. He is the One who enables the hurting to still worship, to still give thanks in the midst of dark days.

I was overwhelmed there in His presence and my heart bowed down to worship Him as my "thanksGETTING" turned to "thanksGIVING".

Dear one, as you go about your Thanksgiving Day stop and before you begin listing all that you are thankful for turn your "thanksGETTING" to "ThanksGIVING" and worship Him for who He is: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. The Great I AM. Alpha and Omega.

El Shaddai - All Sufficient One
El Olam - The Everlasting God
El Elyon - The God Most High
Jehovah-nissi - The Lord My Banner
Jehovah-jireh - The Lord Will Provide
Elohim - The Creator
Qanna - Jealous
Jehovah-shalom - The Lord is Peace
Jehovah-sabaoth - The Lord of Hosts
El Roi - The God Who Sees
Jehovah-raah - The Lord My Shepherd
Jehovah-shammah - The Lord is There
Jehovah-mekoddishkem - The Lord Who Sanctifies You
Jehovah-rapha - The Lord Who Heals
Adonai - Lord, Master
Yahweh - LORD (Jehovah)

Psalm 9:10-11 "Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you. Sing praises to the Lord..."

Can you think of other names of God? Rock. Savior. Comforter. Hiding Place. Redeemer. Enjoy your time focusing on who He is and then give thanks for Who He is and what He has done. GLORY!!

Have a blessed and glorious Thanksgiving!

Love,
Diana

An Original Conversations at the Well
Diana Morgan
November 26, 2009

I recommend reading Trusting in the Names of God by Catherine Martin.