Thanking God in the Darkness - Martin Wiles

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT

Ours had been a year where giving thanks in all circumstances challenged us. It required thanking in the darkness.

The storms began in March when Mom fell and broke her wrist. The doctor had warned her not to go outside or bend over, whether inside or outside. We had repeated his warning to her numerous times. She wouldn’t listen. Sure enough, the inevitable finally happened. Knowing my stepfather, who was a small man and who also had Alzheimer’s, could not care for her, we started the process of getting Mom into a skilled nursing facility.

With Mom gone, my stepfather’s cognitive ability rapidly declined. He could no longer care for himself. The doctor informed us that he, too, needed to be in a skilled nursing facility or have round-the-clock care. He couldn’t afford the latter, so we began the process of getting him into the same facility—and perhaps the same room—as Mom. But when we informed his children—most of whom had been disengaged from his life for more than a decade—they disagreed with our decision.

In short order, they hired an attorney to revoke my POA, made accusations against us to the Department of Social Services, and sued to get full inheritance of his and Mom’s house. So Mom had to hire an attorney to defend herself—only she couldn’t take care of any of those legal matters, so it fell upon me as her POA. As of this writing, the legal battle continues.

To add to our struggles, my mother-in-law, who had lived with us for almost two years, had a mini-stroke and fell, hitting her head in the process. By the next day, we had to move her to the Hospice House, and within four days, she was gone.

Amid the challenges, fall arrived—my favorite time of the year. I watched the leaves turn vibrant colors, felt the temperatures fall, and enjoyed the crispness of each morning and evening. One morning, as I filled the bird feeder on the fence at the back of our yard, I noticed a lone doe feeding on the acorns among the leaves. She stared at me, but made no effort to run. I returned to the house to get my phone to take a picture. When I returned, she still stood there. I took several photos as she posed.

Suddenly, my perspective changed. Despite the year’s challenges, I had much to be thankful for. I worshipped the Creator of all the beauty I witnessed. My wife and I experienced a few minor health issues during the year, but nothing major. We had two wonderful children and seven rambunctious grandsons to enjoy. We had a wonderful church family and numerous friends. Our son had given up an unhealthy habit he had indulged in for many years. Our income paid the bills and gave us a little leftover for short vacations. God loved us and accepted us into his family.

The list could go on, but Paul was right. Even if our year’s circumstances had been worse, I could still find myself thanking God in the darkness. The little preposition “in” makes all the difference. God never tells us to thank him “for” all circumstances, just in them. This we can do when we remember that a good and loving God controls those circumstances and will forever work them for our good and his glory.

This Thanksgiving and every day, thank God. Doing so will change your perspective on life.

Father, regardless of how the darkness appears, lead me to thank you in all things. 

 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Series: The Things We Say - God Don’t Like Ugly - Martin Wiles

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself. 1Corinthians 6:19 NLT

Hearing about ugly episodes is a regular part of any day, but God don’t like ugly.

The early settlers along the James River—in what would become the United States of America—had some ugly in them, although they were responsible for the founding of one of the greatest nations in the world. Although the Native Americans helped them survive, the settlers fought with them and eventually pushed them from their land. Soon, slavery made its ugly entrance into the young colonies. Africans were imported by the millions and crowded in squalid conditions on ships where many died before they ever reached the colonies. As the colonies grew into a country and westward expansion occurred, slavery increased, and so did the mistreatment of other Native Americans.

Ugly didn’t cease once America was finalized with fifty states. Nor is it confined to America. I listen to ugly every day when I hear about murders, rapes, terrorist acts, natural disasters, shootings, and other acts of unkindness. I sometimes wonder where the pretty is.

Since our bodies are temples of God’s Spirit, they should be pretty places. I’ve never considered myself handsome. I can’t remember girls pining to date me when I was in high school. I had somewhat of an ugly complex. But regardless of how I appear on the outside, my inside can be handsome.

Sin makes us ugly. It’s easy to make light of sin by redefining it, calling it something else, or making it appear less tragic than it is. No matter what we do with it, God still sees it as ugly. Sin is behind the ugly we hear about and see each day. The absence of sin would result in the annihilation of all that’s bad in our world.

The only way we can keep our temples clean is to accept God’s solution for ugly: forgiveness. If ugly will separate us eternally from God, then we better fix it. Accepting what Christ has done on Calvary’s cross allows his righteousness to be credited to our account. Then we’re not ugly in God’s sight anymore. With the help of God’s Spirit indwelling us, our pretty inside will manifest itself outwardly in kind words and admirable actions, making the world a better place.

Let God transform your ugly to beauty.

Father, thank you for the beautiful new nature you offer us through Jesus Christ.

I invite you to try my book A Whisper in the Woods: Quiet Escapes in a Noisy World. No one escapes life's hurts, but quiet places help us regain our perspective. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

God Don’t Like Ugly - Martin Wiles

Series: The Things We Say

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself. 1 Corinthians 6:19 NLT

Hearing about ugly episodes is a normal part of any day.

The early settlers along the James River—in what would become the United States of America, had some ugly in them even though they were responsible for the founding of one of the greatest nations in the world. 

Although the Native Americans helped them survive, the settlers fought with them and eventually pushed them from their land. Soon slavery made its ugly entrance into the young colonies. Africans were imported by the millions and crowded in squalid conditions on ships where many died before they ever reached the colonies. 

As the colonies grew into a country and westward expansion occurred, slavery increased and so did the mistreatment of other Native Americans. 

Ugly didn’t cease once America was finalized with 50 states. Nor is it confined to America. I listen to ugly every day when I hear about murders, rapes, terrorist acts, natural disasters, and other acts of unkindness. I sometimes wonder where the pretty is. 

Since my body is a temple of God’s Spirit, it should be a pretty place.

I’ve never considered myself handsome. I can’t remember girls pining to date me when I was in high school. I had somewhat of an ugly complex. But regardless of how I appear on the outside, my inside can be handsome. 

Sin makes me ugly. 

It’s easy to make light of sin by redefining it, calling it something else, or making it appear less tragic than it is. No matter what I do with it, God still sees it as ugly. Sin is behind the ugly I hear about and see each day. The absence of sin would result in the annihilation of all that’s bad in our world. 

The only way I can keep my temple clean is to accept God’s solution for ugly: forgiveness. 

If ugly will separate me eternally from God, then I better fix it. Accepting what Christ has done on Calvary’s cross allows His righteousness to be credited to my account. Then I’m not ugly in God’s sight anymore. With the help of God’s Spirit indwelling me, my pretty inside will manifest itself outwardly in kind words and admirable actions, making the world a better place. 

Let God transform your ugly to beauty.

Prayer: Father, thank You for the beautiful new nature You offer us through Jesus Christ. 

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