The Grateful Heart
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The clock shows 8:27 am. The sunlight is beaming through the bedroom window. My husband (Miguel) says something that jolts me awake—nothing serious—but it’s enough to pull me out of the remnants of sleep and eventually, send us both laughing. We talk bout it for a few moments more, shaking our heads at the ridiculousness of the petty things that at one time would have sent us into a frenzy of annoyance. We shrug it off, say our good mornings, and head off to the bathroom to get changed for a morning swim.
We’re thankful for this moment.
Things weren’t always this peaceful. Six years ago, we were living with family members. Miguel had lost his job, we’d lost our house, and to add to our misery, our marriage was on the verge of collapsing. We were literally on a hope and a prayer, not knowing our next move. My husband had recently taken another job out of state to provide for us, and our three children and I were making arrangements to join him. We were scared and unsure about everything, but if you would ask me today, I’d tell you that it was the BEST place to be spiritually. Why? Because it was all OUT OF OUR CONTROL. We had no choice but to activate the faith that we’d learned so much about and had claimed for so many years to have. One of the biggest mistakes I see people make is the need to have control over every aspect of their lives and sometimes the lives of those around them. Can I burst your buble? It’s a false sense of security, because when you’ve been stripped of everything and are force to activate your faith in a higher power, things start to get real. (Proverbs 16:9) For Miguel and I, we’d reached that point. We couldn’t place our hope in job security, bank accounts, or our ability to hold everything together. We had to place our misplaced hope in the hands of the One who held the answer. Did we still have doubts? Yes. Were we still scared? Absolutely, but with those emotions coursing through us at any given moment, we knew where to turn.
Prayer and the Word of God.
It was the MAIN thing that got us through. We’re thankful for the family and friends that offered their kindness and help when we needed it, but without prayer and scripture, we wouldn’t have made it. Miguel and I were adamant about reading aloud the scriptures that spoke to our situation daily. (Hebrews 4:12) We were adamant about prayer and not just praying together, but with the children as well. (Philippians 4:6-7) We knew better days were coming. We weren’t sure when they would come, but they would come indefinitely. We served too good of a God for it to be otherwise. Understand this, the Lord desires to give His children good things. (Matthew 7:11) Things that He has already prepared for us since the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 2:10) He is looking for those who will stand on His word and trust Him with their hearts. (Psalm 53:2, John 4:23)
Today, I can write this blog post with a grateful heart. We have been blessed financially, more than we ever thought would come to pass, (Ephesians 3:20) but please understand the reason for my gratitude isn’t in the material things, but in the journey of drawing near to my Heavenly Father. He revealed Himself in ways that I never could have imagined and I know that it’s only the beginning. Now, in every circumstance, my soul will wait for the Lord, even when things look bleak because I’ve seen the power of God work in our lives. If I can encourage you to do anything in your time of suffering, it would be to draw closer to the Lord. The peace, comfort, joy, and love that will come from being in His presence will surpass any trial that you’ll ever face, and not only that, but healing and restoration awaits you on the other side.
Blessings,
Tamarria
“For those who are in Christ, your future is already secure, so then, perhaps, life is not about the ending, but the walk with your Savior on your way to the destination.”
