Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)
In the midst of what is happening in the world and its impact on all of us, I want to encourage you that we are children of God and as the verse above points out, we can go to Him in any situation by prayer and petition. The challenging part is the two words “with thanksgiving.” I think the Apostle Paul was reminding the people of Phillipi not to discount all the things to be thankful for. In the midst of challenging circumstances, rightfully so people tend to focus on the predominant, presenting issue – like COVID-19 and all the issues associated with this global crisis.
Paul is reminding us that there always things that we can be thankful for like family, friends, and Jesus Christ. Admittedly I am getting a little short with my kids because they are home and have needs that normally are taken care of by their teachers. On Monday, it took me 3 hours just to figure Claire’s (3rd grade) home instruction. Then we needed to set-up a schedule so we’d get into a good routine. Every day we need to check two different sources of information for assignments and watch videos, plus print out several sheets, plus read, plus do an online reading assessment – daily! Thankfully, my 3 older kids can (almost) do their work without much help from me. So, now we all get to work together.
I need to be centered on that thankfulness not only when I come to God with prayer and petition, but also when I interact with the people I live with. I am thankful that we have more time together. I am thankful that all the questions and interruptions with the kids at home all day, while I am trying to work, can become an opportunity to grow my patience and love for them. I am thankful for the quiet of the night sky. I am thankful for each breath I have. I am thankful for the church family that I can count on for prayer and support. I am thankful most of all for Jesus Christ and my security in eternity.
I wanted to share a song that I’ve grown to love. I love this song, and it has even more meaning to me now during this time. I hope you enjoy it too.
God bless you today!
Denise
