To Be Thankful is to Be Peaceful

Back in the day, my husband, his sister, a friend, and myself made up the Masters IV Quartet. We were known for our renditions of Andrae Crouch’s beautiful songs. Andrae was a well-known gospel singer, songwriter, arranger, record producer and pastor. He penned these words that were our testimony and I’m sure you might call them yours, too:

“I've had many tears and sorrows / I've had questions for tomorrow / There's been times I didn't know right from wrong / But in every situation / God gave me blessed consolation / that my trials come to only make me strong.

Through it all / through it all / I've learned to trust in Jesus / I've learned to trust in God. / Through it all / through it all / I've learned to depend upon His Word.”

Andrae wrote that song based on the struggles and wins in his own life. John Newton wrote “Amazing Grace” based on his spiritual conversion after having been a slave trader. And, Horatio Spafford wrote “It is Well with My Soul” after the death of his son and subsequently the loss of his four daughters when their ship sank. Horrific struggles in life often produce some of the greatest masterpieces of our lives. As I think about my own life’s struggles – there is an unexplainable thread of peace woven throughout my story and I’m sure, if alive, those authors of some of the most renown songs ever written would tell us the same thing. A powerful peace was prevalent that centered them in the awareness of God’s presence.

The truly thankful person is a truly peaceful person – no matter what! Thankful people have created a habit of noticing, pausing and choosing. Noticing “something” to be thankful about no matter the circumstance. Pausing to acknowledge this “something” as a reminder of God’s presence. Choosing to focus on God’s presence until His powerful peace consumes us. I know this “season” has given us plenty of reasons to be in fear, concern, disappointment and angst about what the future holds. But, will we come through this time unscathed because we’ve been noticers? Pausers? Choosers? Were we people of thanksgiving no matter what the circumstances were?

The greatest examples of the power of thanksgiving are found in sacred scriptures. What was the prayer of Daniel right before being thrown into the lions’ den and witnessing God miraculously shutting the lion’s mouths? Thanksgiving. After three days in the belly of a fish, what was the cry of Jonah’s heart right before he was finally delivered onto dry land? Thanksgiving. What was St. Paul’s mode of operation in the prison cell and how did he instruct us to pray in Philippians 4:6? “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with THANKSGIVING, present your requests to God."

And what was the outcome of each of these situations where thanksgiving was proclaimed? Peace -- powerful, unexplainable, uncontainable peace. Paul went on to write: “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7).

I wonder what might happen if we decide in the midst of our circumstances to notice, pause and choose something to be thankful about today. Let’s pray about it!

Dear Lord, will You help me notice things that I can be thankful for in each circumstance I face today? To remember to pause and acknowledge it as evidence of Your presence? And please help me choose to focus on Your presence until Your powerful peace rushes into my heart and helps me see everything more clearly. Thank You for the reality that being thankful changes everything. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

GRACE…..so AMAZING!!

GRACE is a word I’ve heard all my life because I heard my sweet Mom singing “Amazing Grace” throughout our home and I heard it sung worldwide as an anthem of praise. Why would that old song still be relevant, especially when there are so many wonderful songs of praise that are written and sung today?

My word for today is GRACE. My godson’s 16-years-old, big sister's name is Grace. One of the definitions of grace is simple elegance with refined movement, which fits our tall, slender, elegant GRACE to a tee.

I remember when we had a loan due at the bank and they gave us a GRACE-period. Then there's the tabloid article about the politicians or actors who fell from GRACE. We’ll describe a dancer as GRACEFUL and people who devote their time to the needy as GRACIOUS. Then there’s that meal-time prayer when someone says “Who will say GRACE for us?" No wonder when a foreigner tries to learn our language, they are confused about so many definitions for one simple word GRACE. But, the greatest of all definitions is the one that speaks of "Amazing Grace"– the one, saved by GRACE. That is God’s amazing GRACE -- the free and unmerited favor of God, demonstrated by His great love for us in sending His Son to die for sinners (you and me) and pay the debt He did not owe. GRACE is getting what we do not deserve.

Back to that beloved hymn, "Amazing Grace", that was written by John Newton, a former slave trader in 1772. It is estimated to be performed over 10 million times annually and has appeared on over 11,000 albums. It has been an anthem of hope and faith for generations. Why does that hymn still have such an impact? What was it that John Newton pointed out about God’s GRACE that resonates with us so strongly? It probably has a lot to do with the truth that the Apostle James expresses here: “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” (James 5:16). This hymn is a prayer! We pray together as we sing. We confess our need for God’s grace to one another, and look with eyes of faith to the glorious future for us who are "found". The power of this prayer-song transcends time, culture and place. I’m quite sure this song will last right on through eternity. The more we enter deeply into prayer, the more beautiful and stronger our soul becomes and we are able to resist evil and do good.

I attended a large dinner banquet at my church and one of the men at our table told how he knew he had been touched by God and received His "amazing grace" two years' ago in a dramatic way. Though he is still waiting for a liver transplant, he uses his story to speak out to young people of how he seriously abused his body with alcohol and medications. His story was amazing, but then we looked around our table, and we all realized we have our own AMAZING GRACE story of how God's grace kept us, delivered us, spared us, healed us and restored us. We are on the same road.....coming from all directions.....but we are all here to grab someone's hand and help them through because "we've been there, too". God's grace is given TO us, so it can flow THROUGH us to build others up in faith and trust in Him.

Think about God’s GRACE in some of the Bible character’s lives. Moses, whose hot temper led to murder and rebellion against God, and David, who committed adultery and murder. Then turn to the New Testament where a former traitor, SAINT Peter, leads the Church and a former “human rights abuser”, SAINT Paul was the author of one third of the New Testament. Indeed, God’s GRACE is amazing. We can never sink so far that God’s grace will not reach us. At the same time, GRACE does not leave us there. It raises us to new heights, causes us to demonstrate that grace to others in words and actions, and THAT "grace that brought us safe thus far? THAT "grace will lead us home"! THAT GRACE, my friends, really is AMAZING!

Amazing Grace -- How Sweet the Sound

I turned on my TV first thing yesterday morning and the top story was an 8.1 earthquake had struck Mexico in the night, leaving one million people without power. Mexico's president called it the strongest quake his country had seen in a century. Meanwhile, Hurricane Irma is coming -- the second-strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean. And to make matters worse, Hurricane Jose is strengthening and threatens islands devastated by Irma. LORD, HAVE MERCY!!!

Just after I had seen that news, I started my morning readings in Isaiah 43 and these words came alive. "Should you pass through the waters, I shall be with you." God is with us. It is His voice that I hear saying, "You need Me!" And Jeremiah 29:13 says "If you will seek Me, you will find Me."

Whoever you are, no matter what faith you have, or have not, you have undoubtedly heard the song, "Amazing Grace". You probably even know some of the words and can sing along.
The song was written by a former slave trader, John Newton. His early days as a philanderer in the British navy to his conversion of faith and taking up the abolitionist cause is the basis for the song.

While Newton was serving on a slave ship, the ship was caught in a horrendous storm off the coast of Ireland and almost sank. Newton awoke in the middle of the night and, as the ship filled with water, called out to God. The cargo shifted and stopped up the hole, and the ship drifted to safety. Newton took this as a sign from the Almighty and marked it as his conversion to Christianity. The date was March 10, 1748, an anniversary he celebrated for the rest of his life.

After returning to England, Newton and his wife, dramatically confronted the Prince of Wales and urged him to abolish the cruel slavery practice. In 1764, he was ordained as an Anglican priest and wrote 280 hymns to accompany his services. He wrote the words for “Amazing Grace” in 1772. He later went on to renounce his former slaving profession and wrote a pamphlet that described the horrific conditions on slave ships and apologized for waiting so long to stand up for what was right. Under the leadership of William Wilberforce, the English civil government outlawed slavery in Great Britain in 1807 and Newton lived to see it, dying in December of that year.

John Newton had some glitches in his life. He was a philanderer and a slave trader. St. Paul had some glitches. He was a Christian persecutor. King David was an adulterer and murderer. St. Peter was a coward and denied Christ. The Bible is full of those who had glitches. We all have glitches -- maybe that come from a dysfunctional family tree, but God uses those glitches to turn us into radical followers of Christ that when the storms come and the ships of our lives nearly sink, we STAND. And, we not only stand, but we become those who sing the loudest and most heartfelt -- "AMAZING GRACE, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I'm found. Was blind but NOW I SEE!" I pray for that AMAZING GRACE to all those facing storms of life and heart today.