I have witnessed God’s hand in quite a few things recently.  One situation had one of my best friends in a panic, and rightfully so!   The news threatened to bring her world crumbling down around her feet.  Would she receive a phone call that would leave her devastated, or would she be able to sigh a big sigh of relief?   No one knew … except for God above!   We waited, and we prayed … although words failed.  What exactly CAN you say at a time like this?  I tried on several occasions to find something to offer in her time of need, and although I have been told that I’m quite long winded when I talk and write … this time, I had nothing that I felt of value that would ease her pain.  No words would be powerful enough to lift her out of this pit of despair.   Instead, I sent all of my love her way and flooded the throne room of God with prayers on her behalf.   In my inability to produce the “right” words, I simply kept reassuring her of my love and prayers so she would know that she was not alone in this.  She confided in me, and I had no words other than:

“I love you, I’m here for you, and I’m praying for you!”

Maybe that was all that truly needed to be said after all.

We waited … together, yet states away.  Oh the agony of waiting for results.  It adds more wrinkles onto our faces that we try with all of our might to keep as young as possible with all of the anti-wrinkle cream we smear on, and yet … there’s another one brought on by stress!   We hold our heads in our hands as we wait, some times taking both of our hands straight back, stroking our hair as we go, then holding our hands clasped together tightly behind our heads.  When we turn to face the mirror, we see yet another gray hair popping through.   Yes, anxiety at its finest!

Oh I know … you’re not supposed to take on someone else’s problems as your own.  They aren’t supposed to affect you.   BUT … when you love someone, you hurt when they hurt!   When they are struggling, you ARE affected because of how close you two are … it’s bound to affect even the toughest person on the face of this earth when someone they love is going through a hard time with their future unknown and unsure of what is to come, especially when it involves their health!

Then, the moment we had been waiting for.   The phone call was finally placed and my friend picked up on the other end as her words caught in her throat as she forced herself to remain brave no matter what the caller had to say concerning her results.

In that tiny moment, a fraction of a second, everything changed for her.  Completely!  Her outlook … her uncertainty … as she received the best results ever!  No cancer was found.  NO CANCER WAS FOUND!  NONE in that area, in the area of great concern … NOTHING WAS FOUND!!!!

When I received the news, I wanted to get out of my chair and dance around the room!   I can only imagine how SHE felt!

Oh happy days!! Happy days, indeed!

And then came the moment where I stopped everything I was doing and went to God in prayer.  This time, my prayer was full of praise and thanksgiving.  With a grateful heart, I thanked Him for sparing my friend, for the good news she had received, and for having His hand firmly upon her life.

Not too long after that, I sat silently wondering if she had done the same thing.  Had she taken the time to thank God?   Had she offered words of praise and appreciation for all He had done?   I’d like to believe that she did.  Only God knows for sure.

That thought needed to be explored as I firmly believe that more thanksgiving needs to be offered up to our Creator!   Thus, this blog post was born!  🙂

Have you ever taken the time to think about this, though?  Honestly?   We have no problem bombarding heaven with our requests, our wants, wishes, and desires.  We hold nothing back when we’re begging God and pleading with Him.  Yet, when He reaches down His great and mighty hand and heals the person or fixes the situation, do we take time to adequately thank him?  OR, do we sigh and say, “Well, that was close!” as we go about the rest of our day without giving this answered prayer another thought?

This is where we need to be purposeful, people.  This is where we need to take the time to thank God for how good He has been to us, because He is so very good to us all.   If we can take our prayers to God when we’re asking for this, that, or the other … why, then, can’t we take our grateful hearts to Him as we extend the biggest praise and appreciation for all that He has just done in our lives and in the lives of our family and friends?

God deserves more than just a “Whew that was close” or a “Well, thank God for that!”   He deserves sooooo much more!

Let’s be intentional with our praises … Let’s be purposeful with our thanks that we offer up to God.

Think of a situation right this minute that you’ve prayed over.  Something that may have been troubling you that you took to God in prayer.  Even if it was just a silent prayer from your heart to God’s ears … He heard it.

If God answered your prayer the way you wanted it answered, did you take the time to thank him appropriately?  God didn’t halfway do something, so don’t halfway praise him or thank him for it!

God has answered a prayer in my own life just recently, and I thank Him from the bottom of my heart.  Trouble seemed to come from every angle, even when I tried to just “Be still and know that He was God.”   The waves of hurt and pain crashed over me like the high tide rolling in at the beach lapping at the dunes threatening to spill over them, too!   I struggled … I prayed … I begged … I pleaded … and I felt like I was standing in the eye of the storm.   Then it felt just like God stepped right in the center with me and raised His powerful hand, and in an instant, the storms stopped raging around me.

My simple whisper of a prayer reached God’s ears and spoke to His heart:

Please God, please … put us back together!

And He did.  It was slowly at first, then everything started falling into place … only better this time around.   Yes, God answered prayer in His time, in His way, and with HIs divine touch on our lives.

He is worthy of our praises.  Fall down on your knees and thank Him.  Praise Him!  Lift your head up and look toward the heavens, then allow your praises and prayers of thanksgiving to now freely flow as you pour it all out and show your appreciation and gratitude for God above.

Take the time!  Be purposeful when giving thanks to God!