Thankful Thursday

²⁰ Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us, Ephesians 3:20 Amplified

Whenever I have shared a season of worry or disappointment, my dear friend Jo would put her hand on my arm and very assuringly way, “You just wait … GOD’s going to bloooooowww your mind!” And with her very confident tone and eye contact, followed by a warm hug (like a bow on a present), she would leave me with those closing words.

I cannot tell you how those timeless words gave me the strength to go the next day … and the next … and the next. Many times, I’ve had to cling to those very words of reassurance for months and years at a time. GOD’s timing is not mine, no matter how much He loves me. In fact, it is His timing that protects me from my own demise.

Coming through a recent season of what has felt like a cyclone of life events (death of a loved one, empty-nest anxiety, fractured relationships, financial tension), Jo was right there to speak truth into my space as she looked into my face. Tears streaming, I swallowed hard to push back what would have been a full Niagara Falls of an ugly face cry session. At least I saved it for when I got home.

Then unexpectedly one day, as our Scripture verse above describes: ” … superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], …” an answer to prayer arrived as gentle as a dove.

Superabundant: excessive in quantity; more than sufficient (Oxford dictionary).

Yup, pretty much. Literally did not see it coming. Did not seek it out specifically.

And that’s when I knew the Lord was leading me into something infinitely beyond my greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams.

“Are you in a season of waiting to be able to say ‘Thank You, Lord?”

I feel you. In fact, I know how the ups and downs of mixed emotions and unsettled thoughts can leave you feeling … forgotten or on GOD’s back burner. Wondering when things would finally start to turn around. Let me share with you what I’ve learned over the years.

Because I never know when GOD is going to answer my prayer (much less how), I keep doing the work He has placed in my hands. And that is all that He expects of me and you. Remain faithful to your purpose. Be obedient to His Word. Keep doing the work that is in front of you — without trying to reinvent it. You and I are not the architect of our lives. He is.

²⁵ Let your eyes look straight ahead
and your sight be focused in front of you.
²⁶ Carefully walk a straight path,
and all your ways will be secure.
²⁷ Do not lean to the right or to the left.
Walk away from evil. Proverbs 4:25-27 GWT

⁸ I always keep the Lord in front of me.
When he is by my side, I cannot be moved. Psalm 16:8 GWT

Keep your focus on Him. Avoid the distractions along the way — those will cloud the view and blur your vision. And as you continue, when you least (and I mean least) expect it, GOD’s answer to your long awaited prayer will come to fruition. Be mindful that it will likely manifest in a way that will “bloooooooww your mind!”

But here’s the sauce: Be thankful before the big reveal.

Yes. You read that right. Before the confetti drops, before the fireworks light the skies, before the bells ring.

²⁴ That’s why I tell you to have faith that you have already received whatever you pray for, and it will be yours. Mark 11:24 GWT

Put your faith to work in trusting that it (whatever it is for you) is already on its way. Be expectant in the power of GOD to deliver in His awesome way and it will truly leave you breathless and speechless, to the point only those two precious words humbly find their way out of your mouth, “Thank You.”

¹⁴ Wait with hope for the Lord.
Be strong, and let your heart be courageous.
Yes, wait with hope for the Lord. Psalm 27:14 GWT

I waited patiently for the Lord.
He turned to me and heard my cry for help.
² He pulled me out of a horrible pit,
out of the mud and clay.
He set my feet on a rock
and made my steps secure.
³ He placed a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see this and worship.
They will trust the Lord. Psalm 40:1-3 GWT

I love you to Heaven and Back, Girlfriend (and I’m praying for you) ~~

LindaRJohnson, TitusTwo Visionary