It was another good week spent in Whispers and Wildflowers as we settled in and focused on choosing joy and gratitude, and worrying a bit less each day.
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As we read James 1:17 and Psalm 100, our focus began to shift towards joy and gratitude. Choosing joy is not always easy but it is doable, one step at a time. One line from the book grabbed my attention: “Linger in gratefulness today” (page 117).
In looking up the word ‘linger’ in the dictionary, I discovered that it means “to remain or stay longer than usual or expected” (dict. com).
That was when it hit me … to linger in gratefulness doesn’t mean that we haven’t been grateful at all. But what would happen if we stayed put – for a few minutes longer than usual and continued to be grateful?
What would happen in each of us, if we lingered and listed a few things we can be grateful for?
“Gratefulness flips the switch, turning a negative situation into an opportunity to lean on the Lord and watch Him work” (Sarah Beth Marr).
Being grateful in the middle of the challenge is not easy, and does not come easily. We must choose to do so. I’m ready to flip the switch. What about you?
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Matthew 6:25-27 and Exodus 16:4 caused us to look a little more deeply at our tendency to worry. Don’t say we don’t do it – we all do – and if we’re honest, it is hard not to some days.
 “Know today that God intends for you to live life without worries consuming your heart.”
(from page 133)
What would it look like to go without worrying today?
Jesus knew our natural inclination to worry. He turns this upside down and calls us to live differently – to not worry.
To live this way, we must become like birds, who trust Him for everything.
The Exodus scripture reminds us of manna, which needed to be picked up each day. Yesterday’s manna would not suffice for today; and tomorrow’s is yet unavailable. Talk about being taught patience, dependence, and trust!
Perhaps this is truly the only way we can live without worrying though. Think about it …
Maybe we need to take our worries to Him immediately, so that we do not even begin to worry. Maybe our souls need to constantly be reminded to trust Him, and to entrust our worries to Him.
Is there a practical way you can remind yourself to consider the birds and trust God when you feel worries crowding your heart? Each time I sense worry crowding my heart and mind, I am going to remind myself, and the Lord that I am a mere bird, needing Him to provide all I need to make it through.
1: Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash
2: Photo by Boris Smokrovic on Unsplash
Today I am joining … Tell His Story and Purposeful Faith and Grace Full Tuesday and InstaEncouragements .
So beautiful!
I depend so often on that flipping switch of gratitude to change my perspective and to save the day!
As a young homeschooling mom I have to remember that I can’t allow worry to take over. We will get done what we can, and have fun in the process. That’s what matters. The relationship (as a family, and with God) the academic part is important, but not the big picture!
Why is it that birds and flowers seem to trust in God completely? We have a lot to learn from them. Thinking about gratitude for our blessings is always a great exercise in faith. I loved reading about yours!
Ahhh, Joanne. Such great topics in your post today! We’ve done a gratitude list with our boys for the past few years now. And can I just say that, some days, it’s like pulling a dog’s canine teeth to get even one thing they are thankful for in a day? Drives this mama crazy. But, then I have to look at my own heart on my hard days. We so have to CHOOSE to look for the gifts in our days, don’t we??
And worry? Yes, God has been challenging me to come more quickly to Him with my worries. It’s so hard to change the habits forged over decades. But, I am working on that. Thanks for your encouraging words today!
when I went through a difficult time, I asked God for my daily “manna slice,” and every, single day, He gave me specific comfort from His Word for what I was going through. I also began to keep a Joy Journal, similar in some ways to a gratitude list, but for more in depth and expansive. I wrote about all He gave that brought joy, why, and praised Him for it in prayer.
Lovely post!
Lynn Morrissey
Love that idea of lingering in my gratitude! My goodness…how quickly I give thanks – and then rush toward the next need, want, worry or challenge. I like to linger over coffee – perhaps each time I drink a cup, I can spend those minutes rehearsing God’s provision and faithfulness from the day before.
Joanne! This is my first time to your beautiful blog. 🙂 Thanks for linking up at InstaEncouragements! And THANKS for this lovely post. I need it this week. I need this today! We are having a wedding on Saturday that we’ve been planning for months and I need to trust God and not worry! THANK YOU!
Great questions! What would it look like to not worry today? That is a question I need to ask myself. I’m not sure how to answer it because I can be a worrier. Thank you for challenging me to think about letting go of worry and grabbing onto gratitude.