Overwhelming Thankfulness

As we move closer to Thanksgiving I have been contemplating how I would reflect on all I was thankful for this year. I like to think I am thankful every day for something but it is always a good exercise for us as believers to take the time that God has given us around the "holiday of thankfulness" to really see where He has blessed in the last year. I am all about reflection! So, today, the Lord had me totally captive because I was cleaning my house - in my pajamas no less. It seems like getting dressed for something so dirty is pointless so, at 4pm today I was still in my p.j.'s and slippers. (I think Kraig was really glad when I took a shower and changed my clothes. He didn't say it but I think he might have been concerned that I would just climb back in the bed tonight wearing the same thing!) Back to captive audience train of thought: He (the Lord) could have taught the entire O.T. to me today as dirty as my house was - a full six hours to get it looking just right - for the next five minutes. (Moms, nod your head like this!) Having a clean house makes me anxiously euphoric (I know, oxymoron). Euphoric because I heart a clean house but anxious because now I have to be diligent to go behind every body to keep it clean. Thankfully, husband and children are not at slovenly level of living but indeed one step above :)

As I am cleaning I like to listen to podcasts of sermons. (I know I am a freak but that's not news to anyone.) Honestly, it is a good way of learning the Bible and it keeps my mind renewed besides, I enjoy it. So, today I downloaded a series on thankfulness by Allistair Begg (Kraig would prefer that I say he downloaded them for me since I am electronically challenged. Thanks honey!). If you have never heard of Begg before, or even if you have, you can find him at truthforlife.org. He's one of my favorites! In his first sermon on thankfulness he addressed OVERWHELMING thankfulness related to the woman with the alabaster flask.

The sermon began however, talking about two types of thankfulness: natural gratitude and gracious gratitude. Natural gratitude would be the gratitude that we feel from all of the material blessings and benefits from God. This gratitude can be felt by anyone, not just believers because all people experience God's common grace. For example, you don't have to be a believer in order to have food on the table, children or a roof over your head. The second type, gracious gratitude, begins with God, not us or our "things". This gratitude is felt specifically by believers and praises God as the One who is the "giver of all". For example, you thank God for His grace in sending Jesus as our Savior who provides us access to His throne or grants us an advocate with the Father. The point? All of the benefits that we experience as believers come only through Jesus. When He says that He is "the way, the truth and the life, living water, bread of life, the resurrection and the life" He is! (Notice all the references to life?) He is all that we as believers have to be thankful for! He secures it all for us. All grace, all truth, all mercy, all forgiveness, all life, all(fill in the blank). You see, without Jesus, we can experience all of the common graces of life but none of the saving grace. I want the saving grace and I am overwhelming thankful for it! Praise Him!

As Begg ended the sermon he stated that the woman with the alabaster flask offered an overwhelming gift (remember it was worth one year's wage) with overwhelming thankfulness because of overwhelming grace. I had to ask myself, "When was the last time you were overwhelming thankful because of overwhelming grace....and when was the last time you gave an overwhelming gift out of that?" Never. I am challenged anew to spend the next week being focused on the overwhelming gift of God's grace in Jesus for me and contemplating how and what I might give that would be overwhelming, overwhelming in thankfulness.