Thanksliving from a Widow’s Perspective

Taking the time to reflect on the ways that God connects the moments of my life always brings revelation. It’s one of the gifts that He has given me since leaving the busy life of sales. Yesterday, God’s word to His people at His church was how to live a life of thankfulness-thanksliving. Our minister asked us to use the thank-you cards provided to write a note to God during the service. She laughingly commented that “Polly McClure will probably use a whole card-back AND front, but yours can be as brief or as long as you want”. She was right, I did use the whole card-I have a lot to be thankful for! I could spend the rest of my life thanking God for all the things He has done and continues to do in my life.

As I listened to the words of Mark 12:43-44 this morning, I realized that I don’t hold a candle to the widow.

I can tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything-all she had to live on.

How long had it been since she lost her husband? How had her lifestyle changed since his death? What was her source of income now? In spite of her situation in life, she was thankful enough to give everything she had to live on. Now that’s real thanksliving and, as we just learned in our Beth Moore study, Believing God, she was practicing present-active-participle believing faith. There’s no doubt that God credited this act of belief as righteousness to her.

The question that God is burning in my heart is “What are you going to believe me for?” How does God want me to put thanksliving into practice?

Dear Lord,

Give me the faith of the poor widow that was thankful enough to give you everything she had to live on. Reveal to me the things that I need to believe you for. Lord, help my unbelief. Amen