Welcome to Wednesday Wanderings with Dr. Sherri–a time we set aside to wander in the Presence of Jesus and ponder His truths. When you are ready, prepare your mind, body, and soul to have a transformational encounter with Jesus.
PREPARATION: In our last Wandering with Dr. Sherri, we examined Hold me Steady. This week we will examine Where are all my thankful people? When you are ready, you may begin the dialogue with Jesus and state: “Jesus, I invite you to help me to leisurely wander into your Presence. Prepare my heart to receive, and illuminate my spiritual senses to encounter you.”
PROMISE: Psalm 107:1 Amplified Bible
O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His compassion and lovingkindness endure forever!
Give thanks, for God is good. Give thanks for His compassion. Give thanks for His lovingkindness. Give thanks that His goodness, compassion, and lovingkindness are ENDLESS.
Psalm: Come, Ye Thankful People Come 1844
By: Henry Alford (1810-1871)
Come ye thankful people come
Raise the song of harvest-home
All is safely gathered in
Ere the winter storms begin
God our Maker doth provide
For our wants to be supplied
Come to God’s own temple come
Raise the song of harvest-home
Henry Alford invites the thankful people to come. Where are all the thankful people?
PARABLE: The World of Disney’s International Food and Wine Festival is happy place for those who love food. People gathered from all over the world with gratitude that we finally could experience a vacation after being shut in and imprisoned by Covid-19.
Disney groupies from all over the globe transitioned back into vacation explored the festive travels of Epcot Park’s International Wine and Food Festival outdoor venues. Australia features grilled sweet and spicy bush berry shrimp with pineapple, pepper, onion, and snap peas, roasted lamb chop with sweet potato puree, bush berry pea salad, and pistachio-pomegrante gremolato. Belgium tastes erupt with beer-braised beef served with smoked gouda mashed potatoes. Kenya explodes in Kenyan coffee barbecue beef tenderloin with sweet potato and corn mealie pa and kachumbari slaw. The taste of soy-glazed sticky ribs with green onions and peanuts can be found at the Swanky Saucy Swine. Mac and Eats have a unique macaroni and cheese with house-made Italian sausage and peppers. The small appetizer plates tamed my food obsession and gave me an opportunity to taste in abundance. Yet, after a full day in the park, we had only explored one-third of the park. The Epcot world showcase taste experience is endless.
The taste of gratitude is endless when we focus on the everlasting Goodness, Graciousness, and Generosity of God. It does not run out. His giving is like an endless buffet of mercy, grace, love, compassion, and kindness that refreshes every day. I realize I have been guilty of only counting the big blessings and that every day little blessings and miracles met me like appetizers, wetting my gratitude taste buds, fragrancing my nostrils with the aroma of Thanksgiving. The experiential lessons of Covid-19 continue to illustrate that life is not something to take for granted. The privilege to wake up each day is a blessing. Now I understand why the old timed Saints began their prayers with “I thank God for a reasonable portion of health and strength. For my laying down and rising up. For the use of my limbs.” I resonate with why when they didn’t hear the words, “Thank you God” that they asked the question, “Where are the thankful people at?” and would say “Come ye thankful people come” to the alter.
Though not always, today I can be found being thankful as I respond to to the Saints, “Here I am!” I am grateful. I am here to respond to God with my words of thanksgiving and my heart of gratitude! As I journal my way through November and count my blessings, I realize that the blessings of God are too numerous to count.
Soul care training exercise: Come ye thankful people come. As we experience the blessings and miracles of each day, will you take time to Ponder the question In this moment, what are ten things that I am thankful for?
- Reflect and let the Holy Spirit reveal to you what things you are thankful for in this moment.
- Notice without judgment and with a curious awareness of what comes to your mind. Invite God into your sanctified imagination. Ask Him to bring to your attention what He wants you to know about the things which came to your awareness.
- Next scan your mind and notice what the Holy Spirit is sharing about the type of gratitude you expressed. Were the first things for the spiritual things of God? Physical things? or People?
- Finally, Focus on what you see and hear. Ask the Holy Spirit what you need to know, hear, or do. Expand your thoughts, it may be something you never heard told this way before. With a breath of gratitude, breathe in and breathe out and accept what Jesus is offering to you.
PRAYER: Abba, I give thanks that You are good, generous, and gracious. I am grateful that You are merciful and a Miracle Worker. I am blessed to experience that You are a faithful Father. Help me to continue to count the ways that You are good. I don’t want you to have to look for me and ask “Where are my thankful people at?” I want to bless you for more than what you do. I want to thank you for who You are! In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
PRAISE: Now that you have emptied your mind of the clutter and wandered with Jesus, take a closing moment to give thanks to God for his goodness, compassion, and lovingkindness. Then take the mindfulness of Jesus’ Presence in these last few minutes of wandering into the next ones and beyond.
Until next time, be Resonant.
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Take five minutes Bonus Guided Gratitude reflection.
Image attributions: Text art app with words added
What a great reminder, in the midst of devastation all around us GOD is Still present. I’m thankful wherever I find myself today I’m not ALONE. “Come all ye that are thankful, come, come, come”….!