November 2017 - Kristin Saatzer

The Practice of Gratitude: Part 8

Psalm 27:13-14 New King James Version (NKJV)

¹³I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.

¹⁴Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!

I would have lost heart, the scripture says…

I am the blessed mother of four amazing dudes. This passage of scripture from Psalm 27 was a familiar one when my circus was young. I returned to these words often. I truly would have lost heart unless I believed these wild ones would grow up with just a teaspoon of civility. I grabbed courage as I prayed they would show goodness to one another at some point in their maturity (goodness in the land of my living!) My life was a bevy of chaos, broken things, fights, noise, emotional outbursts, and fun. Little piggies ate at my table and monkeys climbed my kitchen. I agree with those who say that parenting is not for cowards or the faint of heart. Still, I was thankful for it all.

My youngest is now 13 and my brood is mostly civilized. Thank you, Jesus! My prayers for them continue, even more so. As I glance back at the tragic global events of this fall, I must find the courage to release my sons to fly in such a world.

Have you found yourself losing heart these days? I sure have. The news has given us some tough pills to swallow lately.

I would have lost heart

Yet! There is good on this globe. This is where I connect the dots between our scripture above and The Practice of Gratitude. In all the events this fall, natural and human-made disasters, we saw people acting bravely. Good people risked their lives for others. We’ve read of generosity beyond measure. The goodness of the Lord in the Land of the living, we do not need to mine deep to discover it.

When I focus on the negative and heartbreaking, and the world my boys face, I lose heart. Therefore, the antidote is a practice of gratitude.

As I have shared in earlier blogs, I keep a journal where I record my gratitude. As of today, I have a list of 5,146. Here’s a few from my list this week: apple pie, four boys together for Thanksgiving, didn’t have to drive today, phone time with sis, health insurance, breath in my lungs, friendship with Sarah, orange/red/purple leaves, yellow/green butterflies in my yard… I wait on Him here as I jot down sweet blessings. He fills me with the courage to face the scary. Oh, how God strengthens my heart. Every. Single. Day.

Intentional gratitude changed my life.

Intentional gratitude changes my days.

Do not lose heart, my friend. Wait on God, be of good courage, and He will strengthen your heart. I challenge you to record your gratefulness. Mine for the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living. It will change your life. It will change your days.

“How precious are My children who remember to thank Me at all times. They can walk through the darkest days with joy in their hearts because they know that the Light of My Presence is still shining on them.”

~Jesus Calling

Photo by Magda Fou on Unsplash

A Brave Adjustment

A woman throwing up red and orange leaves in autumn

How do you feel about change? I’m not a huge fan. Although I have come to understand that to live is to change and, change requires courage.

I touched on my journey of acceptance in my last post. See: https://wp.me/p4RztF-Sx

After acceptance comes adjustment. When we experience great loss or change, we may find ourselves at a crossroad. I’ve seen many dear ones in devastating situations and have walked through deep-trials myself. Once the grief subsides and our new situation becomes reality, which road do we choose? The one laden with bitterness or the one filled with intentional adaptation leading to hope and joy.

My heart grieves for my friends who have gone the way of resentment, refusing to let go. The ones who obsess with bitter words and thoughts for years. Never completely healing and living as victims while pain erodes their souls. It is not pretty. While I do not stand in judgment because I have not walked their walk, I recognize a healthier path and wish it for them.

I find inspiration from dear-ones who in time, choose in a genuine and transparent way, the path of adjustment that comes after acceptance. Life will never be the same, yet they bravely trust God and re-build. Friends who embrace the call of Jesus and seek the abundant life (see John 10:10). These are my heroes. I sit in the front row watching my heroes recover from death, divorce, grave mistakes, horrible health diagnosis, financial ruin, and so much more. Beautiful brave and courageous faith.

We rarely choose what is subtracted from our lives, but we can choose how we respond. How we reorganize our lives in order to move forward. Margaret Feinberg

In watching others move forward and moving ahead in my life, I have learned helpful keys in adapting to change. Steps to acclimate to hardships and what was taken away, never to return the same. I jotted down 12 keys to encourage you as you walk in courageous adjustment.Continue Reading