Thank You, Lord

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”              ~1 Chronicles 16:34

 As I sit at the computer this morning I hear the sounds of our girls playing in the living room and I smell some wonderful cinnamon bread thing that Carrie-Anne has working in the kitchen. It’s freezing outside, but toasty in here. Sunday’s sermon is finished. At noon today we’ll head over to Aunt Pam’s house for a feast of delicious foods, wonderful fellowship with a loving family, and lots of football.

I’m surrounded by blessing. My cup overflows. Thank you, Lord.

I’m eternally grateful for our God’s providence, for his perfect sense of timing, his foresight. At just the right time, he introduced me to Carrie-Anne. This amazing woman who loves me unconditionally and is patient with me and challenges me and pushes me and makes me laugh. I’m not certain I would be a disciple of Christ if it were not for Carrie-Anne. Oh, I’d be a “Christian.” I’d be in a church somewhere. But I’m not sure I’d be a disciple. And I know without a doubt, without her encouragement and confidence, I would not be a preacher of the Gospel.

We celebrate 18 beautiful years of marriage together this Sunday. More on her then. Thank you, Lord.

I’m grateful for the blessings of our three little girls. So precious. So talented. So sweet. So funny. So fun. They make me laugh. They keep us entertained—Carley with her wild, out of control dancing; Valerie with her outstanding sense of humor and funny faces; Whitney with her enthusiasm and passion for whatever it is she happens to be doing at the moment. They each love life so much. And I’m blessed to be able to experience my Father’s world through their eyes. Thank you, Lord.

I’m thankful for all of my family. My mom and dad who passed on the faith to me. There was never ever any doubt growing up that our Lord was the absolute most important thing to my parents and our family. And I’m grateful for that example that was rooted deep in my being, part of my DNA, even if it did take a while to blossom. I’m thankful for my sister, Rhonda, and for the thousands of happy memories we have growing up together. She never let go of me. And there were times when common sense says she should have. I’m thankful for my sister, Sharon, and for the compassion she has for others. She is a selfless giver, caring for the sick, raising the fallen, encouraging the burdened. She, too, has a passion for life and lives it to its fullest. I’m thankful for my brother, Keith, and for his deep love for God’s Word and for the Church. His wisdom far exceeds mine. His insights are invaluable to me. I find that every phone conversation with him leaves me encouraged and upbeat and confident and ready to tackle anything that comes my way in the name of the Lord. Those conversations need to happen more often, not less. All of my family, all of my aunts and uncles and cousins and grandparents and in-laws, they all serve in wonderful ways to care for me and love me and push me. They’ve all been used by my Father, at different points, to mold me and shape me into the man I am. Thank you, Lord.

And I praise God today for giving me — me! — the opportunity to preach his Word. Are you kidding?!? Me? It’s the most amazing thing of all. Me. He sees something in me I never saw. He has a belief in me I’ve never had in myself. His faith in me is greater than my faith in him. I’m not worthy. I’m not holy. What does he think he’s doing, making me against all human logic the preacher at this huge church at Legacy? None of it makes any sense. He’s pushing me. He’s challenging me. He’s expecting great things out of me. Big things. And I know that he knows that I know it’s all going to have to come from him. And that gives me strength and confidence and courage and boldness. It’s all him. Thank you, Lord.

“Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”   ~Colossians 3:17

Peace,

Allan

3 Comments

  1. Cynthia

    Great post. God is soooooo good!

    Bill and I hope to see you at Legacy on December 2nd.

    Cynthia

  2. Ro

    Hey Bro! Hope you had a good Thanksgiving. Just because you write nice things about me on your blog doesn’t make up for all the physical injuries you caused me in childhood!! 🙂 Love you!

  3. Allan

    Your injuries were physical. Mine were emotional. (Six Flags with Michelle and Pain-and-Anguish, wrecking the tractor in Canton, etc,) I’m calling it even.

    Cynthia, can’t wait to see y’all.

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