Oh Give Thanks

On Saturday 12^th August my colleagues and I visited a school in Mukono as part of our Employee volunteering activity. We got to meet some of the students and had one on one discussions with them. I met with a young girl called Kevin (not real name) and we had a very interesting chat. She was interested in knowing how I have made it in life and through school and wondered whether she can become anything much considering she is in a school that is hardly heard of and with a high rate of school drop outs because of early pregnancies or lack of school fees.  

While I don’t think I have made it in life yet, her question made me quickly thank God for his grace and favour that have brought me this far. I reflected on my life and as I spoke to her and shared my life story with her, I realized that I had nothing much to do with the successes I have today. I read hard, but I know people who read harder, I worked hard and know people that worked harder, I prayed but I also know people that prayed really hard. All in all it came to one thing, the Lord has favoured me and has shown me his goodness.

If we each stopped and reflected on our lives, we would have so many things to give thanks for. Give thanks for the fact that you have a home, give thanks for your children, give thanks that you can go to bed peacefully, give thanks for your friends, give thanks you can breathe unaided, give thanks you are alive, give thanks even for the things yet to come. There is someone who desires to have what you have and therefore let’s not focus our attention on what we don’t have but rather, let’s give thanks.

Psalm 118:1 says Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

The call to give thanks to God in this verse is not conditional. It is a call to all and it is not subject to circumstances. The psalmist gives thanks to God acknowledging God’s nature as being ‘good’ God.

It’s very easy to think that we should only give thanks when things are working in our favour, in the good times or when God has given us something we have been praying and believing for. But that’s not the case, we ought to give thanks at all times knowing that God in his goodness and love is working all things out for the good of those that love him.

What situation has been holding you back from giving thanks? Choose today to give thanks

You are not forgotten

Have you ever felt like God is just not coming through for you?

Well, I have just been struggling with that same feeling. Over the last one and a half years, I have known that it is time for me to move jobs to something else as my current role is no longer exciting after almost 4 years.

I prayed and did the obvious to prepare my CV which I believed looked descent and I started applying for jobs. Month after month I waited in great anticipation for at least a phone call to an interview but nothing came through. I then quickly realized that it wasn’t as obvious as I thought.

This often got me anxious, frustrated and sometimes really unhappy with God for not making a way for me. I mean it’s pretty obvious I need a way out of here, why is he not answering?

Jeremiah 29:11 says for I alone know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and hope. God has a detailed plan for everything regarding my life including my next career move and the detail of what time it will happen. This sounds like a well thought out plan to me. One I would love to work with, but how do I calm myself down while I work with God to unveil his perfect plan in my life?

It is good to know that God has not ignored my prayer, he is not deaf and he will not withhold anything good from me because of his nature as my loving father. The same is true for you. God knows about that situation you have been praying about but has not changed. That issue of finances, that stressful work place, that health condition, that relationship. Whatever it is that you have believed God for, don’t lose heart, God’s timing is perfect.

Philippians 4:6-7 says “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.” May we each experience God’s perfect peace in the midst of that storm of life.

I am not forgotten and neither are you.