On your feet now—applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence.

Know this: God is God, and God, God. He made us; we didn’t make him. We’re his people, his well-tended sheep.

Enter with the password: “Thank you!” Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him. Worship him.

For God is sheer beauty, all-generous in love, loyal always and ever.

Psalms‬ ‭100‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭MSG‬‬

This has been a stressful week. Meg, our four-year-old Aussiedoodle, was diagnosed a few months back with canine epilepsy and Wednesday she had two grand mal seizures. I pray you never have to experience the frightfulness and helplessness that comes with witnessing a pet’s seizure.

The aftermath for me, had me questioning if it would be more compassionate to put her down. I had a sleepless night wrestling with my fears and anxieties. The Holy Spirit had already been speaking to me about my lack of trust. Beginning with a sermon a couple weeks ago about our response to feeling out of control.

Listen to this popular verse in a different translation—

With all your heart you must trust the Lord and not your own judgment. Always let him lead you, and he will clear the road for you to follow. Don’t ever think that you are wise enough, but respect the Lord and stay away from evil.‬‬

Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭7‬ ‭CEV

The Holy Spirit was also speaking to me about being thankful through the Bible plans I’ve been reading with my friends. I began thanking God for everything that came to mind.

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.‬‬

1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭NLT

When I began thanking God, I could feel all the love and care he continually pours into my life. From thankfulness it was easy to let go and trust God with Meg’s condition, with my own health, and with my concerns about what was happening in our country.

I’m reminded of a story in the Bible about God instructing Joshua to have a memorial built from twelve stones taken from the Jordan when the Ark of the Covenant and the Israelites crossed over. The purpose was for Israel to recall God’s power in impossible situations. (Read Joshua 4.)

Giving thanks is like building a memorial. When we see all we have to be thankful for, we recall that God is powerful beyond our circumstances. Thus releasing us from our anxieties to fully lean on him and breath.

Grace & Peace,

Sandy

Image created in Canva.

You may ask, “What about Meg?” We contacted the vet and upped her dosage of anti-seizure medicine, I read a book on canine epilepsy, ordered another book to log her seizures, and thanked God for all the love she brings to me as I pour my love into her. Life will look a little different going forward, but God is with me through it all.