When I realized that I would be writing the blog that fell on the Tuesday of Thanksgiving week, I began to panic a little. Okay, so not really panic, but I thought, “Come on, Julie. This better be a good one. This is a holiday week, so you better step it up.”
I started to rack my brain about what I should say. The blog I wrote for November 7, 2023, was on gratitude, and when I think about Thanksgiving, I usually think about giving thanks and focusing on gratitude. But . . . I had already written about that, so, what should I talk about?
I started thinking about my week and the few weeks prior, and I had been struggling a bit with stress and my blood pressure. I had never had issues with my blood pressure until recently. Boy, I turned 50, and BOOM–new challenges! There are certain things that I seem to struggle with again and again, and worry, anxiety, and fear are at the forefront fairly often.
For those of you who know me, you know that I love to sing, especially in my car at the top of my lungs! I’m so sorry for my children when they have to ride with me! In my car, I always have a Christian radio station tuned up, and it seems that God has a way of having songs play that I need to hear. This past week when I was feeling worried, the song, “All Joy No Stress” by Rhett Walker came on. If you haven’t heard it, you should check it out! It really does bring me joy when I hear it! It’s just a happy song, and it makes me smile, and boy, it is fun to sing along with!
Then, on a particularly rough day this week, Michelle texted me a verse, and it was Psalm 55:22: “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” I love it! I think I’m going to commit this one to memory, so I can bring it to mind whenever I’m struggling with feeling anxious.
Finally, while I was having a Facebook-5, where I take a short break and scroll through Facebook, I saw a post where someone mentioned, “Faith over Fear.” I love that! It’s easy and simple, and it reminds me that God is bigger than all of my fears. I just need to have the faith!
So, God provided me with a song, “All Joy No Stress”; a Bible verse, “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you. . .”; and a saying, “Faith over Fear.” Look at all of those things! They spoke directly to my needs: my worries, my anxiety, and my fear. God gave me exactly what I needed when I needed it. Isn’t He amazing?
Now, these may seem like little things, but I believe God cares about the big things and the little things. Look at these verses from Luke 12: “6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” It even tells me again in this verse not to be fearful, and it lets me know that God cares about the little things, like the sparrows and the hairs on my head. Wow! Because God loves me, he cares about me!
Well, friends, thank you for sticking with me on this one. It took me a bit to work out what God was wanting me to learn, but I think we got there.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, friends! God is good!
Love,
Julie
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