Crying

Crying it s a natural emotion we all share, from the time we are born we shed tears for many reasons, hunger, fear, anger, sadness, pain, happiness and much more. Some folks hardly ever cry and some seem to always to be crying.
As a child I cried a lot, most every night I sat up crying unable to sleep. I can remember the loneliness that crying brought with it. I felt as if I had no one and that life was never going to get easier. I was a broken and hurting child and with each tear I shed I drifted farther and farther away from a normal childhood, and farther and farther from the Lord, I thought that He couldn't care about me and let me go through this terrible time in my life alone. In my child's mind I thought He should swoop in and save me like you see in the fair tales. As you know that isn't how life works and looking back I see that He was always there.
One of the first things I learned after I was saved was that I had not shed a tear that God did not hear. The Bible says in Psalms 56:8 Put thou my tears into thy bottle. The Lord spoke to my heart and made me realize that He had carefully bottled every tear I had ever shed. Not even my silent cries had went unnoticed He had heard and bottled them. Just knowing that, during those times in my life that I felt so alone and thought that no one else heard my cries, He was right there with me catching each tear, waiting for me to cry out to Him. Looking back now it is as if I can actually see Him sitting by His heavenly Father in the peacefulness of heaven, enjoying creation, listening to the prayers of the saints as the wind carries them to heavenly heights. All of a sudden, Jesus stands as a concerned look crosses His face, tilting His head slightly to the side He listens intently. A knowing look crosses His face as a tear runs down His cheek; He turns and walks over to a shelf picking up a bottle with my name written on it. He turns toward the Father with a look of pain on His face, The Father nods as if to bid Him go. With His very strong but gentle hand, holding the bottle firmly He slowly extends it toward me here on earth. He brings the bottle close to my face and very gently using His other hand; He brushes my tears into the bottle. Looking at this picture in my minds eye, it gives me great comfort in knowing that I was not alone. It does not change those tearful nights of my childhood but it sure makes it easier to deal with knowing that He was right there all the time catching every tear and sharing my pain.
I am so thankful that even today when my heart is broken and I am crying and lonely He is still catching every one of my tears and sharing my heart ache, and that gives me great comfort and helps me weather the storms of life.

Thankful

Are we ever thankful enough, do we ever get to a place that we are content and happy with exactly what we have? As humans I think we fight the flesh and never get to a place of contentment, just as Adam and Eve we to are never happy with all that the Lord has blessed us with. We only focus on the things we don't have, over looking the abundant blessings that fill our lives.
I am blessed beyond measure and I know I am guilty of taking it for granted. Yes, I thank Him daily for what He has given me, but often I am holding out my hand for more before I have even enjoyed the blessings I already have. Like a spoiled child I throw all my blessing to the side and ask "so what's next?". Lord, forgive me for being so selfish and ungrateful.
Lord, I want to thank you for all the blessings you have bestowed upon me. For reaching out to me in my darkest hour and saving my soul. For saving my life and keeping me out of a devils hell. This is so much more then I ever deserved and I am so thankful that you chose me. Looking back on those dark times in my life I realize that even then you were watching over me and protecting me, and for that I am very grateful. I want to thank you for second chances and for new starts. Thanks so much for restoring my broken life and making all things new.
Thank you for the wonderful man you have sent into my life to be my husband. He is such a good man and has a heart of love and kindness that I had never known in my life. He takes good care of me and loves me unconditionally. He is my strength and security in the darkest of nights. He is the extension of your love from Heaven to me here on earth. He is more then I could have ever dreamed of and so much more. Help me Lord never to take him for granted.
Thank you for all the things you have added to our lives, our family, friends, financial security and the peace and joy that comes from having you at the center of it all. You have blessed us with your presence in our life and have shown us that life can be more then just a journey to endure, that it can be a joyful adventure with peace and love that is more priceless then anything else this world has to offer.
Lord, help us all to be thankful and content in you. Help us to see more clearly what blessing we have that we might not take them for granted.