We were headed for the exit when Pastor Robert called out and said, “I almost forgot, please get that small card that we placed on your seats and just before you celebrate the New Year’s Noche Buena, gather your family around the table and fill in the “10 THINGS I’M THANKFUL TO GOD FOR 2012”.
For the last two weeks, I’ve actually been doing a slow recall of the past year and asking myself what are the things I should be thankful to GOD for in 2012. The child in us automatically recalls the toys and the fun things we received or got. The leader/provider in us generally think about promotions, provisions, profits or anything that brought food on the table, paid the tuition or built up our savings. The irony is that we instantly associate these blessings with our boss or with our own efforts.
Yes they had a part but they are not the principal author of grace. Very few manage to look beyond the obvious and discover that GOD was behind it all, that he heard our prayers and used people and situations to answer our prayers. Gratitude is so deeply ingrained among Filipinos that we have historically thanked the “Patron” or the Boss first then God second, often times almost as an afterthought. I’ve learned that saying: “Thank you, Lord” is refreshing, more culturally guilt free than “Salamat Po” and is a constant reminder that I have a Loving God.
* * *
Looking back this year, I realized that we often have to go through pain and misfortune in order to realize what really matters the most. In death we learn to celebrate life, in sickness we value health, in separation we yearn for family and in financial loss we realize that money is an instrument not the end goal. This “Realization” by itself is a gift from GOD.
Someone posted a “graph” on Facebook depicting the value of something before and after we get it and when we lose it. Before we get it something or someone is 100% high value to us. Once we have or own something or someone, the value proposition dips to as low as 10%. Then one day when the person or object has disappeared, been stolen or is gone, the value proposition spikes back to 100%. I thank GOD for family whose health has been restored, for family whose relationship with us and especially with GOD has been restored. And I thank God for the value proposition and relationships that are now of 100% rating.
* * *
This year I have been materially blessed, shown favor by friends and clients in business as well as received answered prayers in the form of “dreams come true”. I thank GOD for teaching me two things why all of these blessings have come my way. First is from the principle of tithing where we give 10% of all our profits and earnings to GOD and his ministry. The second is by applying the declaration and intent in 2Corinthians 9:8: “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
For the first time in my life, along with my wife Karen, we have shared more with people in need than we have ever before. We did so for compassion, love and sometimes obedience to GOD’s leading. I get a lump in my throat every time I remember the looks on peoples’ faces who received unexpected help. But that is nothing to my continued amazement each time GOD gives back more than we’ve shared with others. This year I learned time and again the truth to what they say: “ You can never out give GOD”. I share this not to brag or sound righteous, but to share a discovery we’ve proven time and again through the year, something we hope you will discover in 2013.
To close let me share a prayer from Joel Osteen that I have repeatedly listened to from the album “Free to worship: songs to improve your life everyday”. May it bring blessings into your New Year:
“Father we do love you tonight, we count it a joy and an honor to be in your presence and we just bow down before you with humbled hearts and commit our lives a fresh and anew to you tonight as worship you, and we know Lord GOD that you’re in our midst. That you have a plan and a purpose for each one of our lives. We just thank you tonight that you are working in our lives, even tonight making the crooked places straight.
We thank you father that you’re opening doors of opportunity, that you’re healing sick bodies, restoring relationships, restoring joy, restoring peace, restoring victory. Lord God, father we thank you that there is nothing too hard for you, so we just thank you even tonight, that things will begin to change in our favor. Father I thank you that this year (2013) will be our best year so far, that it will be a year of increase, a year of promotion, a year when we’re walking in greater health, greater victory.
Father I thank you that it will be a year that we break bad habits. That we get free from addictions and things that are holding us back. Father I just thank you for new levels of your victory. Father we know nothing is too difficult for you so tonight, as we worship you we just release our faith knowing that, that worship is coming up before you, we believe that you’re smiling down on us right now and we just declare it by faith that no matter what’s come against us in life, we are victors and not victims. Father we declare, we are blessed, we cannot be cursed.
I thank you Lord God that we’ll see your favor in a new way. That we will be blessed in the city, blessed in the country, that whatever we touch will prosper and succeed, father I thank you that we’ll see increase on our jobs, in our careers, in our families, and all the good areas you have for us Lord God. We love you Lord Jesus, we thank you for all you’ve done for us in the past but we are excited about our future. We believe that our best days are still in front of us, we declare it by faith Jesus name!
Happy New Year Everyone! God bless you.