Episode #7 What Isn’t – Unconventional Gratitude

Hey hey! Welcome. I’m glad you’re here. Today, we’re going to spend a few minutes considering what isn’t in our lives.

Most of the time when we think of expressing thanks, it’s for the gifts we have. Food. Shelter. Provision. Family. And it can feel more natural to consider what isn’t in our lives as things to pray for. What isn’t here yet, but we hope will come soon. But, sometimes gifts from God are in what we don’t have. So we can give thanks for what isn’t in our lives.

Think back to your life in a difficult season. Maybe it was just a hard time, or it could even be before you received salvation. What are some of the “not great” things that used to be your norm that are totally absent from your life now? What trajectory was your life on before God intervened? Think about how you have changed and grown since that past season. Maybe even from who you were as a teen to who you are now. What’s something you used to struggle with that you don’t any longer? What is a lie you long-believed but you don't tolerate anymore?

How has God transformed you as a new creation? Or maybe you can think of a time that God rescued you. Again, this could be salvation or it could be when he opened your eyes to a dangerous path you were on. What difficulty had you previously accepted as just your lot in life, and God brought you truth and freedom?

One example for me is in quieting my internal self-critic. My husband Jared and I were reading “The Road Back to You” which is a Christian author’s perspective on the enneagram. (Now I know enneagram can be controversial, so if you don’t love it, just stick with me here.) We were learning about our personalities, and as an enneagram 1, my natural internal self critic is super loud. Jared, is an enneagram 7, and his self critic is not. We were reading an example of how our personality types may respond differently when leaving a party. Jared would think about what was fun and wonder how to make things even more fun in the future. I would wonder about if I sounded stupid or how I came across and often worry that I should call someone and apologize if a thing I said came across in a way I didn’t mean and they could have maybe interpreted it in an inaccurate way that I didn’t think about at the time, but was now stressing about much after the fact. Seriously. If you can relate, let me know you’re out there. Also, this was a light bulb moment for me when I realized for the very first time that I didn’t have to let my internal critic be so loud. Thinking about the fun stuff sounded way more fun. So I started on a journey of retraining that inner critic voice and I am SO GRATEFUL that my self-critical voice is now much quieter, kinder, and doesn’t boss me around like it used to.

The whole of Psalm 107 is powerful to read and study. So, I’ll read a longer portion of scripture today but for the sake of time today, I’m not reading the whole psalm out loud. I’m reading Psalm 107:1-15 and then skipping down to verse 43. As I read, invite God to help you recall what “once was” in your life and “what isn’t” any longer.
1 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
whom he has redeemed from trouble
3 and gathered in from the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.
4 Some wandered in desert wastes,
finding no way to a city to dwell in;
5 hungry and thirsty,
their soul fainted within them.
6 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
7 He led them by a straight way
till they reached a city to dwell in.
8 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
9 For he satisfies the longing soul,
and the hungry soul he fills with good things.
10 Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,
prisoners in affliction and in irons,
11 for they had rebelled against the words of God,
and spurned the counsel of the Most High.
12 So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor;
they fell down, with none to help.
13 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
and burst their bonds apart.
15 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!

43 Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things;
let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord.

What an incredible act of God’s steadfast love that we can think back on and celebrate. Also, we don’t have to stop with only the goodness we can think of. There are things that you’ll never think to notice, stuff totally off your radar, that God took care of. Let’s ask him to bring things to your remembrance, and maybe even share something you never noticed before.

Like how we end every episode, here’s a question to go ask God about and a quick example of how that conversation went between me and God. I asked him this question: God, will you show me something good about my life today, that is different from the life I once lived or the path I was on before? We started talking about my old loud mean internal critic, and I felt him say, “You used to think I’d talk to you that way too.” I won’t share our whole conversation here, but some of my follow up questions included: Will you remind me of a time I did that? (he reminded me).
How did that hinder our relationship? (he told me about it). Do I still approach you like that sometimes? (I do, and he kindly brought to mind a time I did that recently). God, that loud mean internal critic voice is not true of you. I’m sorry. (which led into repentance and asking for his help to continue growing in that area of our relationship).

Whatever he shows you, don’t treat that insight like the end of the conversation. Express gratitude and talk more about it. Here’s that question one more time. God, will you show me something good about my life today that is different from the life I once lived or the path I was on before?

Have a good talk!

And if you’ve been encouraged by this content, please share it with a friend and help them grow in their conversational relationship with God too!

Connect with Jen on Instagram