It must be going around the e-mail circuit. I haven’t seen it, but maybe you have. As a friend and I closed our phone conversation the other day, she said, “Oh…oh…oh…let me see. How do I phrase it…wait a minute. I have to ask you something. Something somebody asked me the other day.”
She paused for a thoughtful moment and then shot this question through the airwaves.
“If you woke up tomorrow to find only what you thanked God for today, what would you have?”
It took me a minute. She had to repeat it several times. When I finally understood the question I ran to my morning journal because my brain couldn’t remember what I had written only a few hours earlier. I was thankful that I had journaled my prayer today. The beauty of ink. Permanent of sorts.
It’s funny how you can forget something that was paramount three hours earlier. But I had. I was even surprised by my words. I hadn’t started the penned prayer with my usual list of thanks: blessings, family, home, Jesus, friends, etc. These were my words:
“Thank you Lord for forgiveness. Thank you for that word this week. Thank you for the freedom it brought me. It released me from me. It released me from my own pride and self-conscious pain. It was supernatural how quickly it brought peace to my heart. I’m not sure why except for You. Your ways are mysterious and can’t be explained in the deep places.
Judgement calls for forgiveness. Even if the judgement is only my perception; I have to deal with my perceptions, my feelings.
Even if the person was wrong in his judgement and realizes it but doesn’t ask for forgiveness. I must forgive
Even if he was right to a certain degree–no prophecy is 100% perfect here. (We prophecy in part. 1 Cor. 13) Yet it must be forgiven. Thank you Lord for this freedom.”
I was elated to think that if my friend’s question actually came to be, I would have forgiveness. That’s all. It was strange how that thought gave me peace. I would miss terribly the wonderful blessings I have in this world, but I would have the most important ticket to enter the throne room of grace.
Forgiveness.
Now it’s your turn. If you woke up tomorrow and found only what you’ve thanked God for today… what would you find?
Turkey?
Much grace,
andy
