Knowing Him is showing yourself grateful...

Gratitude is a written choice of formulas consisting of words said sometimes through numb lips, hearts that can't feel and minds that are distracted and driven in multiple directions. Then the Word is open and none of it makes sense, but you keep reading and never stop rejoicing, making a list of all the things thankful. That was me in 2014 and then into 2015, one word at a time and literally one step at a time. I didn't understand what was happening in my life, my home or my family. Two relationships were drifting away from God's plan and His Word, the world was pulling them contrary to God's Word and leading them to live separate from the plan He had for family, home and even church. We were living the precepts and now I know that even more. 

In 2014, I had surgery on both feet leaving me feet up, bed ridden most of the year. I downloaded audio books, picked up Bible Studies, revisited old ones, then took index cards and wrote out scriptures, recopied notes from my old tattered Bible to a newer one I had been given years earlier and kept in the Word. I found writing down three things I was thankful for went from lists of grass, trees, even tears to attributes of God and His creation. I grew tremendously in Him that year.

"After many days..." as in the Word when Elijah confronted Ahab, God was allowing a life-experience come my way. The world, the enemy, divided our home and in 2015, I was faced with learning all things with Him by my side. He placed so many amazing godly people in my life from that day forward who carried me through the hard days. On day one, the Holy Spirit lead me to have one hour in the morning and one hour at night with God. I did. Using several devotional books, I opened the Word and a notebook and read, wrote and prayed. I wrote out my prayers and read even when nothing made sense. Faithful. Committed. 

God was and has been true to me as a Father and a friend. He led me within hours of my experience to a church family who has taught me indepth Bible study, how to tithe, lead my home, how to share my faith/story and there I was discipled. I didn't date, I devoted my time to know Him, learn His character and trust what a godly person really looked like and was from without and within, btw there is no straddling the fence, either you know Him or you don't. 

Experiencing God is not only a Bible Study but something you do on a daily basis that when a crises or joy comes, you continue walking the walk of faith, love and joy in Him regardless. You are obedient, filled with hope and continue to love. My "why story" is so much more then can be written here, but knowing Him is showing myself through gratitude, rejoicing, loving and being happy. I am continuously happy, living and breathing. It is a choice anyone can make.

How different would all our lives be if we went to sleep and woke thinking of three things we were thankful for or three people we were thankful for? How about if we were sitting, waiting for...whatever...breathing in our nose and out our mouth, focusing on gratefulness of things and people that influenced our morning or afternoon. Stepping it up and sending them a card to let them know, but not sign it?!  See what you can do to change your life with gratitude and change someone else's life!

Hugs, Rita