I LIFT UP MY HANDS IN THANKS!

Wow! I am looking at the most beautiful sunrise ever witnessed; my eyes are even watery from all the emotions welling up in me (my bad, I wasn’t able to take a photo to share the moment that caught up with me). The sun came out proud like a peacock, all colourful, bright & warm to the touch of the skin. What a sight to behold! I wish you were here to witness the early morning blessing.

There is crisp, fresh clean air as you drive away from the city centre. Indeed, the country side roads bring a calm to the mind, soul & heart. I am laughing as I take it all in & I tell you this is what makes you wonder why do we have so much hurt from all over. When you walk around our busy roads & streets we are all deep in thought. Rightfully so, but we take this a notch here & have no time to stop, relax & just take the moments in.

In the pre-covid era when we had the liberty to go out to concerts or shows, did you not notice all the phones that were used to record the live session moments, my assumption is to have a recording of the moment. No one wanted to miss out in being engulfed in the beauty of the sweet melodious tunes emanating from the high mounted speakers & the unity of the musical instruments holding all captive, making you not want to miss a bit.

As has now become the common phrase or saying, “it is what it is”. We shall not dwell on the past, though we are imprisoned in our own homes for our own safety due to the times that are. I want you to just take a moment & ask yourself is there anything that I am really grateful for. When you woke up in the morning, did you give thanks for having seen yet another day.

As you are now heading home after a long, tiring day that has your back hurting, feet nearly giving in, your mind all jumbled up in confusion, your tummy rumbling like thunder, do you think you will say, “Thank God am home & in one peace” or should I take my thanks & flush them down the drain, eeeh! This is just something minuscule that I would like to see if you ever take a moment for.

Every day that you get to have the privilege of a meal on your table even if it is once a day, do you give thanks. When you get out of the comfortable 2x3/3x3/3x4/5x5/6x6 or queen size or king size bed & breath in a few gulps of the air that is, do you first say thank you? When you get to earn that wage or salary little or much as it is & I do understand the turmoil that we are currently in, but even in such a time do you give thanks?

When you get to go home to your family or have people that you call family, do you say thanks for them being in your life? When you have clothes that cover your nakedness, keep the elements at bay, do you say thanks? When you have someone, who is there for you, listens to you, do you say thank you? When you get to your shelter be it a bedsitter, 1/2/3/4-bedroom house, shack, single room, do you say thank you?

Look am not trying to bash your emotions or feelings & take you on a guilty trip to make you look or feel like ingrates, am out here just asking my small questions. What I am simply asking you, is that do you give thanks to God for the things that He has provided & done in your life? Or you will just tell me to shove off & say I worked hard for all that I got & God doesn’t feature anywhere in my life.

Well, I am not here to judge you or your actions I leave that to the Almighty Father up in heaven (for those who are believers). I am not doubting that you worked night & day to reach where you are. But one thing that I can raise with you is that come what may there is a force greater at play than yourself. You may call it destiny, luck, hard work, fate & so forth that is in existence that makes things more as they do.

For me it is God’s favour & which I will not under any circumstance take it for granted. At times, life may give you a beating until you wonder, haiya what has just happened. I thought all was going on well, but then things just turn around. Are you the kind of person who when facing a challenge, you see it as an obstacle or are you the kind of person who sees it as an opportunity to be ceased & learn from? As you ponder on this, I would like to pray for you. You don’t have to take part in it but all in all, I will include you:

 

“Dear God up in heaven, thank you so much for all that you have done in our lives. We can’t repay you back for all that you do for us. I know that many are going through tough times during this period & God I put them in your able hands. Our father, it is not easy for us to stand on our own feet to face all that life throws at us. I do pray that for those who are reading this article, may you ignite a fire in them like no other & may you be with them in all that you do. You are our provider, protector, guide & in you we believe. May you be with all that are before you. In their jobs, homes, relationships, health, every day activities, I do pray that God may you go before them. I pray that may your will prevail in their lives. I give you thanks in all that you have done for us whether we are aware of it or not. Thank you God for everything. For pray this in Jesus name, Amen!!!”

Well, with that done, I know that you are all people of all walks of life but I want to share something that I did get the privilege of reading & coming to terms with. I will leave you with this verses from one of the love letters in the Matthew 6:25-34, where the Holy Scriptures speaks out loud & says:

“²⁵“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? ²⁸“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³²For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own”.