Things We Are Grateful For

Recently, after every CSA Wednesday Mass that I attended, I’ve always been waiting for the Miracle Bulletin to be distributed to me. And every time I received it, I would flip to the last page and read the section titled, “Things We Are Grateful For”. Why did I do so? Let me share with you some of the things written there:

Miracle 13 October 2010

Things We Are Grateful For:

I thank God for those little things in life that makes me smile;

• for the times I can find empty seat during peak hours in bus, MRT or school canteen,
• for every time my music player plays my favorite song that happens to suit my mood at the moment,
• for every tutorial question that I can do by myself,
• for every tutorial question that I cannot do but You give us the answer through our tutors,
• for friends that write on our Facebook walls, comment on our posts, retweet or reply our tweets,

Thank you, God, for everything I am, and everything I am not, for I am created in Your image, and for You provide me with what I need, and not what I want. =D

Miracle 3 November 2010

Things We Are Grateful For:

I would like to thank God for each and every one of my friends who are always there when I need them (to help me) and also when I don’t need them (as a reminder that I am not, and never be alone).

I would like to thank God for…clothes I have. I didn’t realize that I own a lot of clothing items until I saw how high my pile of laundry is. Though I rolled my eyes at such sight, I feel so lucky! God provides, Hallelujah!

Oh well….Every time I see a difficult tutorial question, I would start to grumble in my heart. When I need to do my laundry, I would just complain inside my heart because of the stairs that I need to go up and down to reach the laundry room. And thanking God for my music player?? I don’t think I’ve ever done that.

Sooo…every time I read this section, I was reminded of some more things that I often forget to thank God for. Very often, I take things for granted and not realizing how abundant God’s love has been in my life.

But wow! There are actually so many of things to be thankful of!

This was also affirmed during the CPG Praise and Worship Night last Tuesday. Thobi mentioned in his talk about how we should praise and worship Him, not only during the thirty-minute Praise and Worship session in our weekly prayer meeting, but instead, we should do it constantly every day and everywhere! He also said that when we are more aware of God’s grace, we will find God more in our lives.

And I was also struck by the affirmation from the Gospel reading and the daily meditation from http://wau.org yesterday. It was the one about the 10 lepers who were healed, but only 1 of them returned to Jesus to thank Him.

This story tells us what Jesus is looking for from all of us. Every time our faith is increased or our prayers are answered, he wants us to turn to him in thanksgiving and worship. Why? Because he loves being praised? Not at all.

Rather, it’s because he knows that when we come to him in worship, our faith is built up even more. Every time we praise and thank him for his marvelous deeds in our lives, our hearts are softened even more, and we become even more open to his word, his work, and his love.

So today, take some time to write down the most grace-filled moments you have experienced in your walk with the Lord. Where have you seen God work the most powerfully? Meditate on these events and let them move you to worship. Give yourself to the Lord in a deeper surrender so that he can take you even further in your faith.

Therefore, let me thank the Lord for His words that have reminded me again of how much He loves me! =D And also, thanks so much to Ayu, the person who wrote in the Miracle bulletin, and Thobi, for allowing God to speak to me through what both of you have shared!

Dear Lord, thank You for everything that You have given to me. Thank You Lord for the every little things that You’ve blessed me with, that I often missed them out. Help me, Lord, to be more aware of Your blessing and guide me, in growing my faith, by praising and worshipping you in every single moment of my life. Amen.