I open to the Book of James and the verse strikes at me right between the eyes. Count. It. All. Joy. It is the ALL that sticks in my throat. Every last little thing? Surely, God, You don't mean ALL. It is apparent that I have misread the words, right? And I am like the little two year old on the cassette tape...saying her numbers...counting to her momma and daddy... 1...2...3...5. I thought I had learned to count, but the recording of that toddler...of me...proves that I still have some learning to do in the counting department. To learn to count it ALL.
Learning to count the heartaches and the sorrows. To count griefs as graces {Ann Voskamp
}. To count problems as praises. That is what it means to count it ALL. To count it ALL joy.
There is a book that sits by my bed. The one with the bird and "believe". It holds my new lessons in counting since it is blatantly obvious that numbers aren't my thing. The one where I count it all. The one where I count the pains. The one where I count the heartaches. The one where I count them as gifts. These are the hardest to count, not because of the high numbers, but because of the high cost to me. Thanksgiving is hard when it comes to having gratitude for grief.
The pages don't lie. There are sorrows. Painful abuse. Deaths. Rejection. Friendship failure. And yet, He asks me to count them as JOY. For a year now I have counted. Tried to "believe" like the journal cover proclaims that the heartaches can become "heart joys". And you know what I have found? A Father that loves me. That wants to give me joy. That is only out for my good. A Savior that in order to save me brought grief into my life because He knows that nothing and no one rises again unless there is death. That pain brings peace as crazy as it sounds. That counting griefs as graces bring gladness. I wouldn't have believed it...but I lived it. I can look back on the gratitude list of grief and be glad for a Father that loves me.
The counting it ALL joy. One of the best things I have ever done...
In 2014, my Word of the Year is COUNT. Come count with me.
12 comments:
Dear Debbie,
Thank you for this post this morning! It is just what I need to hear today. . Thank you for sharing.
Bless you!
Susan
Dear Debbie,
Thank you for this heartfelt and truthful post. I so appreciate your honesty and you desire to move forward with God. This was a blessing to me this morning. Bless you.
Susan
Susan- Thanks for stopping by! So glad that you were blessed!!
I sometimes wonder how in the world something good can come about of abuse, etc. It's so difficult to be thankful for pain, isn't it? But then I remember God gave me a greater empathy for the pain of others and equipped me to better give comfort as He has comforted me. What a neat idea to write down the heartaches and sorrows and look at them as "heart joys." Wow! I guess I count the blessings more and still have a hard time with the heartaches. Thanks so much, Debbie.
Trudy- Yes, it is hard to count the heartaches as heart joys. Things like abuse can be so hard that it seems like there is no possible way to thank Him for those types of life experiences. It has been healing to count the aches as joy. I totally agree with you...pain gives us empathy for others.
There is nothing more powerful than knowing the Father's love. This is such a beautiful share here, Debbie. So glad I stopped over from Faith Barista's Soul Sunday. God bless...
Thank you, Renee!!!
'A Savior that in order to save me brought grief into my life because He knows that nothing and no one rises again unless there is death. That pain brings peace as crazy as it sounds. That counting griefs as graces bring gladness. I wouldn't have believed it...but I lived it. I can look back on the gratitude list of grief and be glad for a Father that loves me.'
Thank you for sharing this with me today, Debbie. xo
You are welcome, Laura!!
This verse is definitely challenging - I love how you put it all together. Counting it all joy along side you! Blessings,
Julie
Thanks Julie!!
Powerful and so true! We often find it so easy to praise God through the good times but not in the storms of life. Thanks so much for sharing. Great reminder!
Post a Comment