Linger

GUEST BLOGGER: Karen Guzman

Karen Guzman Greenwood

When God comes alongside us with comfort or an answer we seek, we thank Him. We are grateful, sometimes beyond words, that He has heard and answered, that he has made his presence known. He is near. There is nothing better, and so we give thanks.

Then we move on.

Have you ever noticed that? Too quickly, too eagerly, we move on. A sort of spiritual amnesia sets in as we look ahead to the next obstacle, the next worry. That prayer of gratitude too quickly becomes, “Thanks, Lord, and what can you do for me next?”

 Some very dear Christian friends gifted my husband and me with author Sarah Young’s daily devotional book “Jesus Calling” this past Christmas. The pages overflow with wisdom and insights into God’s nature. They often bring us to a stop. They still us. Everything else falls away, the worries and anxieties, the to-do list, as His voice cuts through the din, straight to the heart and mind. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it reallydoes.

 In one entry, Young weighs in on the power of gratitude—in our lives and, more importantly, in our relationship with God. In her book, Young draws on Scripture to create passages designed to mimic the voice of Jesus talking. It’s a bold technique and a very effective one. In her gratitude passage, she writes:

 “It is impossible to praise or thank me too much. As it is written, I inhabit the praises of MY people. Sometimes your adoration is a spontaneous overflow of Joy, in response to radiant beauty of rich blessings. At other times your praise is more disciplined and measured—an act of your will. I dwell equally in both types of praise. Thankfulness, also, is a royal road to draw near Me. A thankful heart has plenty of room for Me.”

 I’ve been thinking more about praise, about thanksgiving, lately. Our relationship with Christ is, like all relationships, a two-way street. But it’s not a quid pro quo—you do this for me, and I do that for you. He has already done all the heavy lifting. Gratitude is born in the heart when we realize the enormity of His love. It sometimes comes via the sudden revelation that He has heard, that He is listening to us.

 How do we thank almighty God for hearing us and for letting us know that He has? There aren’t enough words. There aren’t enough deeds. But there can be the glimmer of a heart transformed, reaching out in love and humility and deepest gratitude to Him.

 I want to linger in these moments a little longer and carry them with me.