"Thankful Thursday" on Friday!

I am a day late with my "Thankful Thursday" list which is a good thing because I needed a little bit of an "Aha" moment before I could think on it this week. My heart has been in the book of Isaiah for a year now and I don't see myself leaving it anytime soon. I am only now beginning to understand why. There's so much in there about God's heart that I am only beginning to understand.

It's easy to approach these thankful lists with pride. I am acknowledging what God did but just kind of doing it in a way that is "this is what I EXPECT from Him." Not that I shouldn't expect to be blessed because the Bible says that God blesses his children. What I mean is that I can list my blessings but still TAKE THEM FOR GRANTED and NEVER ASK WHY he has blessed me in those ways.

The past few days I have been immersed in Isaiah 58. It's a good one to read if you are not familiar with it. Let me give a little highlight:
“If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday." Isaiah 58:9b-10

I am trying to approach my blessing list with the attitude of "what do you want me to do with these blessing?" "How do you want me to 'spend myself?'"

Once in awhile God gives you a glimpse of the suffering in the world. It's never easy to see. There's too much for one person to handle. How can one person put a dent in it? If you don't go to God and ask, "what are you calling ME to do?" then it will just overwhelm you and pull you under.

So this week I am continuing my list of blessings like any other week. But I am asking God to show me "why" these wonders are in my hand and "what" he wants me to do with them. Perhaps the list of my blessings needs to be like a great game of "hot potato". "Thank you for my blessings and show me how quickly I can bless another!"

Starting from last week's numbers:

31. We have this 1998 Saturn. It has never had a major repair needed. I am so thankful for that little car that starts every time and keeps on chugging!! It sure has saved us money!

32. Our home which is a shelter from storms and cold weather. In such a cold climate, it is a blessing to have a warm place to live.

33. Overall we are healthy. A virus here or there, some food sensitivities and such, but very healthy.

34. A night out last night with girlfriends. Oh, did I need it and it was such an encouraging night!

35. Much of the paperwork for my son's college entrance is done. It's all done for one college, nearly done for another. The parts I dreaded most are done!

36. We had a great fellowship group this past Wednesday. It was a great time of sharing hardships that God has seen us through and how close we grew to God through them.

37. It seems there is some sort of music in our house all of the time, so much that sometimes the one taking the Math test has to request an hour without music so they can concentrate! I love that music is always around us.

38. My house is pretty loud but not because we're fighting. It feels right. :)

39. The snowstorms kept away from the times we needed to be on the roads.

40. Last night at 4:40 p.m. it was STILL LIGHT OUT!!! :)

 "He remembered us in our low estate
            His love endures forever.
and freed us from our enemies.
            His love endures forever.
He gives food to every creature.
            His love endures forever. 
 Give thanks to the God of heaven.
            His love endures forever. "
Psalm 136:23-26