Prayers
and Thoughts for Reflection
November 2002
|
Sing
to the Lord with thanksgiving; Give
thanks to the Lord, Enter
his gates with thanksgiving Do
not be anxious about anything, |
PRAYING HANDS
There
are hands that help and comfort,
Hands that plan and teach,
Hands that rest and hands that strive
For a goal just out of reach,
Hands that grasp and hands that give,
Hands that work and play,
Friendly hands and loving hands
That soothes life's cares away.
But praying hands are dearest
In the sight of God above
For in their sweet and earnest clasp
Are reverence and love.
No hands can do an unkind act
Nor cause another care
Nor sin against Our Father's love
When they are clasped in prayer.
Author Unknown
Devote
yourselves to prayer,
Being watchful and thankful.
Colossians 4:2
Dear Lord, Teach me to sow seeds of faith based on Your promises. Grant me patience to wait on You to bring the answer. Thank you for making all things beautiful in Your time. Lead me through the tasks you have set before me. Fill me with Your boundless love, so that I may pass it on to those I meet. Help me to see You in all of life so that I may never know a moment without Your presence. Amen
As
flowers carry dewdrops, trembling on the edges of the petals, and
ready to fall at the first waft of the wind or brush of bird, so the
heart should carry its beaded words of thanksgiving. At the first
breath of heavenly flavor, let down the shower, perfumed with the
heart's gratitude.
Henry Ward Beecher
Finish
every day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some
blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as
you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with
too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense. This day
is all that is good and fair. It is too dear, with its hopes and invitations,
to waste a moment on yesterdays.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
God
is glorified, not by our groans, but by our thanksgivings.
Edwin Percy Whipple
The art of thanksgiving is thanksliving. It is gratitude in action.
It is applying Albert Schweitzer's philosophy: "In gratitude
for your own good fortune you must render in return some sacrifice
of your life for other life."
It is thanking God for the gift of life by living it triumphantly.
It is thanking God for your talents and abilities by accepting them
as obligations to be invested for the common good.
It is thanking God for all that men and women have done for you by
doing things for others.
It is thanking God for opportunities by accepting them as a challenge
to achievement.
It is thanking God for happiness by striving to make others happy.
It is thanking God for beauty by helping to make the world more beautiful.
It is thanking God for inspiration by trying to be an inspiration
to others.
It is thanking God for health and strength by the care and reverence
you show your body.
It is thanking God for the creative ideas that enrich life by adding
your own creative contributions to human progress.
It is thanking God for each new day by living it to the fullest.
It is thanking God by giving hands, arms, legs, and voice to your
thankful spirit.
It is adding to your prayers of thanksgiving, acts of thanksliving.
Wilfred A. Peterson
A stranger came by the other day with an offer that set me to thinking.
He wanted to buy the old barn that sits out by the highway. I told
him right off he was crazy. He was a city type, you could tell by
his clothes, his car, his hands, and the way he talked. He said he
was driving by and saw that beautiful barn sitting out in the tall
grass and wanted to know if it was for sale. I told him he had a funny
idea of beauty.
Sure, it was a handsome building in its day. But then, there's been
a lot of winters pass with their snow and ice and howling wind. The
summer sun's beat down on that old barn till all the paint's gone,
and the wood has turned silver gray. Now the old building leans a
good deal, looking kind of tired. Yet, that fellow called it beautiful.
That set me to thinking. I walked out to the field and just stood
there, gazing at that old barn. The stranger said he planned to use
the lumber to line the walls of his den in a new country home he's
building down the road. He said you couldn't get paint that beautiful.
Only years of standing in the weather, bearing the storms and scorching
sun, only that can produce beautiful barn wood.
It come to me then. We're a lot like that, you and I. Only it's on
the inside that the beauty grows with us. Sure we turn silver gray
too...and lean a bit more than we did when we were young and full
of sap. But the Good Lord knows what He's doing. And as the years
pass He's busy using the hard weather of our lives, the dry spells
and the stormy seasons, to do a job of beautifying in our souls that
nothing else can produce. And to think how often folks holler because
they want life easy! They took the old barn down today and hauled
it away to beautify a rich man's house. And I reckon someday you and
I'll be hauled off to Heaven to take on whatever chores the Good Lord
has for us on the Great Sky Ranch. And I suspect we'll be more beautiful
then for the seasons we've been through here...and maybe even add
a bit of beauty to our Father's house.
The storms of our life prove the strength of our anchor.
Author Unknown
However,
as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind
has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him."
1 Corinthians 2:9
Albert Einstein once reflected on the purpose of man's existence:
Strange is our situation here upon earth. Each of us comes for a short
visit, not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to a divine purpose.
From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we
do know: That we are here for the sake of others . . . for the countless
unknown souls with whose fate we are connected by a bond of sympathy.
Many times a day, I realize how much my own outer and inner life is
built upon the labors of people, both living and dead, and how earnestly
I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received."
When we truly take stock of our lives, we must admit we have done
nothing solely on our own. Our thinking has been fashioned by our
many teachers and mentors, including family members. Our ability to
function physically is the result, in part, of our genetic code and
the productivity of others in providing food, water, and shelter.
Our spiritual lives are a gift of God himself. We are what we have
received.
Author Unknown
The
year has turned its circle,
The seasons come and go.
The harvest all is gathered in
And chilly north winds blow.
Orchards have shared their treasures,
The fields, their yellow grain,
So open wide the doorway
Thanksgiving comes again!
Author Unknown
A
Thanksgiving Alphabet
Turkeys, tablespreads, being together,
Happiness and homes to protect us from all weather,
Aunts and uncles, a reunion in Fall,
Nieces and nephews, family members all!
Kind-hearted kin coming over for dinner,
Surely you'll have fun, but you won't get thinner!
Gourds and pumpkins, mouths open wide.
Indians and Pilgrims we remember with pride.
Very special times-there could even be snow.
Imagine what it was like at Plymouth long ago.
Never forget how the settlers led the way,
Giving thanks and blessing this special day.
Author Unknown
Oh,
Lord, I thank you for the privilege and gift of living in a world
filled with beauty
And excitement and variety.
I thank you for the gift of loving and being loved, for the friendliness
and understanding and beauty of the animals on the farm and in the
forest and marshes, for the green of the trees, the sound of a waterfall,
the darting beauty of the trout in the brook.
I thank you for the delights of music and children, of other men's
thoughts and conversation and the books to read by the fireside or
in bed with the rain falling on the roof or the snow blowing past
outside the window.
Amen
Louis Bromfield
God
can make a blessing of a quiet hour;
His love can turn it into something rare . . .
He, and He alone, can make a gift of precious worth
from anything entrusted to his care.
Psalm 25:5
Some
people have a belief that every tree, when it burns, gives back the
colors that went into its making-they see in the flaming logs the
red of many sunsets, the purple of early dawn, the silver of moonrise
and the sparkle of stars. So it is with us: what we have accepted
into our hearts and made a permanent part of ourselves is given back
in times of trials.
Fulton J. Sheen
All
things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful:
The Lord God made them all.
Each
little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
God made their glowing colors,
And made their tiny wings.
The
purple headed mountains,
The river running by,
The sunset and the morning
That brightens up the sky.
The
cold wind in the winter,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden:
God made them every one.
God
gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell
How great is God Almighty,
Who doeth all things well.
Cecil Francis Alexander 1848
Dear Lord, Thank you for all things bright and beautiful. Thank you for all things great and small. Thank you for landscapes. Thank you for memories. Thank you for the seasons of our lives. Thank you for the times of our lives - of hope, of faith, of harvest, of surrender and of trust. Thank you for the promise of your word. Amen
Come
to Me and I will give you rest, all of you who work so hard beneath
a heavy yoke. Wear My yoke, for it fits perfectly, and let Me teach
you; for I am gentle and humble, and you shall find rest for your
souls; for I give you only light burdens.
Matthew 11:28 - 30
During this Thanksgiving week she would have delivered a son. She grieved over her loss. As if that weren't enough, her husband's company threatened a transfer. Then her sister, whose annual holiday visit she coveted, called saying she could not come.
What's worse, Sandra's friend infuriated her by suggesting her grief was a God-given path to maturity that would allow her to empathize with others who suffer. "She has no idea what I'm feeling," thought Sandra with a shudder.
"Thanksgiving? Thankful for what?" she wondered aloud. For a careless
driver whose truck was hardly scratched when he rear-ended her? For an airbag that saved her life but took that of her child?
"Good afternoon, can I help you?"
The shop clerk's approach startled her.
"I....I need an arrangement," stammered Sandra.
"For Thanksgiving? Do you want beautiful but ordinary, or would you like to challenge the day with a customer favorite I call the Thanksgiving Special?" asked the shop clerk.
"I'm convinced that flowers tell stories," she continued.
"Are you looking for something that conveys 'gratitude' this Thanksgiving?
"Not exactly!" Sandra blurted out. "In the last five months, everything that could go wrong has gone wrong. " Sandra regretted her outburst, and was surprised when the shop clerk said, "I have the perfect arrangement for you."
Then the door's small bell rang, and the shop clerk said, "Hi Barbara...let me get your order." She politely excused herself and walked toward a small workroom, then quickly reappeared, carrying an arrangement of greenery, bows, and long-stemmed thorny roses. Except the ends of the rose stems were neatly snipped...there were no flowers.
"Want this in a box?" asked the clerk.
Sandra watched for the customer's response. Was this a joke? Who would want rose stems with no flowers!?! She waited for laughter, but neither woman laughed. "Yes, please," Barbara replied with an appreciative smile. "You'd think after three years of getting the special, I wouldn't be so moved by its significance, but I can feel it right here, all over again," she said as she gently tapped her
chest.
"Uhh," stammered Sandra, "that lady just left with, uhh... she just left with no flowers!"
"Right...I cut off the flowers. That's the Special... I call it the Thanksgiving Thorns Bouquet.
"Oh, come on, you can't tell me someone is willing to pay for that?" exclaimed Sandra.
"Barbara came into the shop three years ago feeling very much like you feel today," explained the clerk. "She thought she had very little to be thankful for. She had lost her father to cancer, the family business was failing, her son was into drugs, and she was facing major surgery."
"That same year I had lost my husband, "continued the clerk," and for the first time in my life, I had to spend the holidays alone. I had no children, no husband, no family nearby, and too great a debt to allow any travel.
"So what did you do?" asked Sandra. "I learned to be thankful for thorns," answered the clerk quietly. "I've always thanked God for good things in life and never thought to ask Him why those good things happened to me, but when bad stuff hit, did I ever ask! It took time for me to learn that dark times are important. I always enjoyed the 'flowers' of life, but it took thorns to show me the beauty of God's comfort. You know, the Bible says that God comforts us when we're afflicted, and from His consolation we learn to comfort others."
Sandra sucked in her breath as she thought about the very thing her friend had tried to tell her. "I guess the truth is I don't want comfort. I've lost a baby and I'm angry with God." Just then someone else walked in the shop.
"Hey, Phil!" shouted the clerk to the balding, rotund man.
"My wife sent me in to get our usual Thanksgiving arrangement ....twelve thorny, long-stemmed stems!" laughed Phil as the clerk handed him a tissue-wrapped arrangement from the refrigerator.
"Those are for your wife?" asked Sandra incredulously. "Do you mind me asking why she wants something that looks like that?
"No...I'm glad you asked," Phil replied. "Four years ago my wife and I nearly divorced. After forty years, we were in a real mess, but with the Lord's grace and guidance, we slogged through problem after problem. He rescued our marriage. Jenny here (the clerk) told me she kept a vase of rose stems to remind her of what she learned from "thorny" times, and that was good enough for me. I took home some of those stems. My wife and I decided to label each one for a specific "problem" and give thanks to Him for what that problem taught us."
As Phil paid the clerk, he said to Sandra, "I highly recommend the Special!"
"I don't know if I can be thankful for the thorns in my life." Sandra said to the clerk. "It's all too... fresh."
"Well," the clerk replied carefully, "my experience has shown me that thorns make roses more precious. We treasure God's providential care more during trouble than at any other time. Remember, it was a crown of thorns that Jesus wore so we might know His love. Don't resent the thorns."
Tears rolled down Sandra's cheeks. For the first time since the accident, she loosened her grip on resentment. "I'll take those twelve long-stemmed thorns, please," she managed to choke out.
"I hoped you would," said the clerk gently. "I'll have them ready in a minute."
"Thank you. What do I owe you?" asked Sandra.
"Nothing." said the clerk.
"Nothing but a promise to allow God to heal your heart. The first year's arrangement is always on me. "The clerk smiled and handed a card to Sandra.
"I'll attach this card to your arrangement, but maybe you'd like to read it first."
It read:
"Dear God,
I have never thanked you for my thorns. I have thanked
you a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my
thorns. Teach me the glory of the cross I bear; teach me
the value of my thorns. Show me that I have climbed closer
to you along the path of pain. Show me that, through my
tears, the colors of your rainbow look much more brilliant."
Author Unknown
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed
in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord
delivers him out of them all.
Psalms 34:18 - 19
The
righteous cry and the Lord hears,
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
Psalms 34:17
Dear Lord, help me to be aware of those floundering around me. Guide me to find the right words of praise and encouragement. Grant that I may be a carrier of cheerfulness, sensitive to the suffering of others by seeing beauty of human hearts as You do. Show me how to uplift the spirits of the lives I meet today. Help me to be a helping hand to another as You are to me. Awaken me, to what I am and help me become the most I can be for You. May Your love flow through me. Amen
No
mere man has ever seen, heard, or even imagined what wonderful things
God has for those who love the Lord.
1 Corinthians 2:9
If
anyone would tell you the shortest, surest way to happiness and all
perfection, he must tell you to make it a rule to yourself to thank
and praise God for everything that happens to you. For it is certain
that whatever seeming calamity happens to you, if you thank and praise
God for it, you turn it into a blessing.
William Law
Lord, let me never forget that in all things you send there is a blessing. Every problem leading me to pray also leads me deeper into your presence. Every trial that takes me to my knees also brings me closer to your throne. Help me to remember that You will strengthen me to face all difficulties. I know You will not desert me when I call to You with faith and trust. In You, I can find the love and strength to face all difficulties. Amen
God
hath not promised
Skies always blue,
Flower-strewn pathways
All our lives through;
God hath not promised Sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow,
Peace without pain.
But
God hath promised
Strength for the day,
Rest for the labor,
Light for the way,
Grace for the trials,
Help from above,
Unfailing symnpathy,
Undying love.
Annie Johnson Flint
Welcome
all the passing showers,
Count your garden by its flowers,
Count your days by joys, not fear;
Count the rainbows through your tears.
Count
your world by friends, not strangers.
Count your town by hearts made strong;
Gratitude admits no dangers . . .
Count your blessings with a song.
Count
your night by stars, not blackness,
Count your time by good deeds done;
God's sweet promise knows no slackness . . .
Count yourself His precious son!
Ethel Colwell Smith
Gratitude
consists in a watchful, minute attention to the particulars of our
state, and to the multitude of God's gifts, taken one by one. It fills
us with a consciousness that God loves and cares for us, even to the
least event and smallest need of life. It is a blessed thought that
from our childhood God has been laying his fatherly hands upon us,
and always in benediction, and that even the strokes of his hands
are blessings, and among the chiefest we have ever received.
Henry Edward Manning
A
single grateful thought toward heaven is the most complete prayer.
Gotthold Lessing
Life is a miracle
Life
is a miracle,
Don't let it slip away.
Open your heart to others,
Give of yourself each day.
See
the beauty in everyone,
Regardless of where they've been.
Some have a difficult journey,
And really need a friend.
Share
your gifts and talents,
Listen with your heart.
Do the things you dream about,
But never seem to start.
Pick
a bunch of flowers,
Show someone that you care.
Be gracious and forgiving,
When life treats you unfair.
Hold
on to your courage,
You may need it down the road.
Each one has a cross to bear,
It could be a heavy load.
When
you practice all these things,
No matter where you roam,
You may find both sun and rain,
But you'll never walk alone.
Author
Unknown
He
will teach us His ways,
And we shall walk
in His paths.
Isaiah 2:3
Those
who trust in the Lord for help
will find their strength renewed.
They will rise on wings like eagles;
they will run and not get weary;
they will walk and not grow weak
Isaiah 40:31
O God, help me to touch someone today with my eyes, my words,
my smile, my voice, my laughter, Your word.
Change my life, so I can make a difference.
Let my actions bring someone closer to you.
Help me to make Christmas last all year.
Help me to use my gifts for Jesus. Amen.
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