Thankful Thursday (Vol. 44)

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Thankful Thursday (Vol. 44)
Currently Reading
In Cold Blood
By Truman Capote
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I'm tired. Today was weird, and i just wasn't feeling work at all. Ah well, somedays are just like that. :)
For today.....I've spent most of my day trying to come up with a topic of gratitude. I mean, honestly, there are a million and one reasons I'm grateful, and that's the truth, but it's been hard to peg one down. Finally, this is the best I came up with...so enjoy this week's thankful post.
The unthankful heart... discovers no mercies;
But let the thankful heart sweep through the day and,
As the magnet finds the iron,
So it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!
~Henry Ward Beecher~
This week, my prayer partner and I were initially praying over a specific situation in Austria, but when we heard about the devastating earthquake in China, that has just created so much chaos and death and destruction there, we added a second topic of prayer for the week. It was appropriate.
Something struck me as I considered what to pray for China, for the people connected to this disaster and beyond. But something that just kept coming to mind were the missionaries.
See, China is a Communist country. It's still considered a closed country. Missionaries and people sharing their faith in China are criminals and if are present, they are there undercover and the church there thrives in the underground. In fact, with a death toll as high as the early predictions are saying, I cannot imagine how many missionaries, believers and workers in the faith were killed and/or buried in the rubble. And no one will know anything about it. Sad.
What does this have to do with gratitude? I know that's what my dad is thinking right now. But see, this week's theme is gratitude for freedom to speak freely, love freely and profess freely of our faith. Tuesday night, my brother's small group met here at this house, we spoke openly of our faith. We talked, worshipped, prayed, shared Christ with each other and not once did we fear for our lives. Not once did we worry about being arrested for praying together.
As we prayed on Tuesday, even more impactful is the prayer that Marie shared. She prayed that so many people in China shared their faith with so much on the line, and here, we have nothing on the line and we dont' share our faith because we are afraid to be ridiculed. There is such irony. In places where sharing your faith is a life and death matter, there is no fear. But in our society, the greatest fear is sharing our faith for so much more shallow a reason.
This week, as you worship together in a freely built, freely owned building alongside hundreds of other believers who have the freedom to profess what they believe, and have no jail time facing them. Where you can go to church unafraid of a police raid, and you can sings songs a praise without reservation.....be grateful.
Christ held back not even the life blood of his own vitality. He deserves no less than that.
I am grateful to be free to worship....but also grateful for the millions of believers around the world who worship boldy in a place where their very lives are threatened.
This week....
Worship with gratitude.
Pray fervently.
Speak of your faith boldy.
Sing Loudly.
Hold nothing back.