The Well-Worn Path
It was another late night after a grueling day in the classroom that morphed into an evening of caregiving at home. The school day, coupled with the bus ride home, left Matthew both exhausted and tightly wound. I worked the boys through our regular evening schedule, hoping a warm bath and our bedtime routine would work its magic. The possibility of a quiet evening glowed.
The warm bath and bedtime routine did not work its magic; Matthew thrashed about in his bed, becoming more tightly wound by the moment. The golden glow of a quiet evening vanished. Tears stung my eyes; I took a deep breath. I knew what I must do and how long it might take to calm Matthew if it worked at all.
In moments, I was with him, providing manual deep pressure and massage. As I sat on his bed in the darkness, an involuntary sigh, mingled with a feeble prayer, rose from the recesses of my soul. Then I heard Him speak in my spirit: “…He inhabits the praises of His people…”. The point was clear. He would show up in this moment if I chose gratitude and praise.
There in the darkness, I began to thank God for simple things like functional arms and legs, the bed where Matthew lay, our home, and the doctors who worked hard on our behalf. I thanked Him for anything I could think of-- the air I breathe, the force of gravity, and the earth He made. Somewhere along the way, a dam began to crumble in my spirit, and I began to softly sing. I continued the deep-pressure massage as I sang:
“Jesus, name above all names. Blessed Redeemer, Glorious Lord, Emmanuel, God is with us, Risen Lord.”
I certainly needed God with me, in that moment, so I sang on. Tears spilled down my cheeks as my spirit soared upon the wings of worship. Matthew’s thrashing began to calm, and I soon heard the deep rhythmic breathing of sleep. However, I sat in the darkness softly singing—lingering in the holy stillness. As I slipped silently away to the unwashed dishes in the kitchen sink, I remember marveling over the powerful change within me wrought simply through choosing praise and gratitude.
Gratitude is so powerful because it prompts us to lift our eyes from lesser realities around us, toward the higher realities above us. It asks us to shift our perspective from the things of earth to the realities of heavenly truth.
In that process, I have found those things of earth, though weighty, shift in light of the reality of our all-powerful and compassionate Father. A larger reality than the weight of my circumstances shines brightly; my Jesus is more than able to handle each of my troubles with ultimate wisdom and stunning compassion. As I rest in that truth, the burden somehow lightens and shifts from my shoulders to His.
Gratitude is also humbling as it prompts me to take stock of the lavish blessings that are mine in Christ. These blessings were not earned by my prowess, ingenuity, professional skills, or impressive talent. They were bestowed by His lovingkindness alone. The truth of Scripture often rises to guide me in this endeavor like a tender Friend, reminding me of the wonders of our great salvation.
Our gracious and compassionate Savior does not treat us as our sins deserve. Rather, He extends grace, kindness, and forgiveness. (Psalm 103:8-19)
He paid the ransom that rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of light long before we were even seeking Him. (Colossians 1:21-24)
He has given us hope and a future when we had neither. (Jeremiah 29:11)
He has blessed us lavishly in heavenly realms and adopted us as His very own. (Ephesians 1:3-10)
He has given us eternal life in heaven with Him, as opposed to eternal death apart from Him.
He has bestowed rich spiritual blessings upon us and seated us with him in heavenly places.
He owed us nothing, yet has given us everything.
When I consider these things, I am disarmed, humbled, and undone before Him.
When I started down the well-worn path of praise and gratitude that evening, I began as an exhausted, frazzled, and frustrated mom and was transformed into a humble worshipper. I share my story simply to stand at the trailhead, raise my lantern, point the way down this path, and walk alongside any who will have my companionship. This age-old path leads from where you stand to becoming transformed into a grateful worshipper—humbled, disarmed, and undone over the blessed wonder of our great salvation.